Leena Manimekalai Accuses Kerala Chalachitra Academy Of Nepotism

Leena Manimekalai has made the decision to never work with the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy again, citing "institutional nepotism" in support of director Kunjila Mascillamani. Manimekalai showed her support for Kunjila, who had protested at the location of the third women's international film festival, which was put on by the academy in Kozhikode, over the rejection of her film "Asanghadithar."

Numerous cinema figures have shown their support in response to Kunjila's protest and the police's removal of her from the scene. By withdrawing from the event, director Vidhu Vincent expressed her disapproval of the organizers of the film festival. On her Facebook page, Manimekalai wrote that she was relieved she had declined the "screening invitation for Maadathy - An Unfairy Tale from the same festival." Manimekalai recently screened Maadathy, her most current motion picture, at Yale University. Manimekalai, who referred to Kunjila's film as the "first original feminist film that has ever been created in Malayalam," urged the Kerala Chalachithra Academy to cancel the festival since it was not showing it. Because of the institutional nepotism and disregard for regional filmmakers, Manimekalai remarked, "I have actually chosen never to screen my films at the festivals organized by Kerala Chalachitra Academy (IFFK, IDSFFK, and IWFK)."