The Kerala Police on Thursday took into custody award-winning Malayalam filmmaker Sanal Kumar Sasidharan following a complaint by actor Manju Warrier that he was repeatedly “insulting and threatening” her on social media by saying that her “life was in danger”.
The police took Sasidharan into custody from Thiruvananthapuram rural and he will be taken to Kochi, where Warrier filed the complaint on Wednesday. In her complaint from her, Warrier said that Sasidharan, director of her 2020 movie ‘Kayattam’, has been frequently pestering her by sending messages and attempting to insult her on social media.
Recently, the police had recorded Warrier’s statement in connection with a case of alleged conspiracy against police officials who probed the 2017 woman actor abduction and sexual assault case, in which her ex-husband and popular actor Dileep is an accused.
After Warrier gave her statement before the police, Sasidharan commented on social media that her life is in danger. He further said that the head of the investigation team was removed after her deposition of her.
Earlier this week, Sasidharan reiterated that Warrier’s life was in danger. In a Facebook post, he said: “I have sent an email and a text message to Manju Warrier about my apprehensions and mentioned that I am planning to reveal my doubts on social media before I put my first post. I have not received any reply from her… I have no personal interest in this matter. I totally understand that I stand on a dangerous edge on this issue. I can see a possibility of Manju Warrier coming out and say that she is just fine and I am making unnecessary hue and cry…”
Sasidharan is a critically acclaimed director and his movie ‘Ozhivudivasathe Kali’ bagged the Kerala state government award for the best feature film of 2015.
In 2017, his film ‘S Durga’ was dropped from the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) and the director moved the Kerala High Court where he got a favorable verdict. In light of the high court order, a screening was organized for the festival jury members who sought the intervention of the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).
The bone of contention was the hashtag that followed the letter ‘S’ in the title of the movie, which was earlier named ‘Sexy Durga’. The CBFC said the makers cannot exhibit the film further until the board re-examines it, adding a suitable date and time will be conveyed to the makers soon. The reviewing committee of the censor board cleared the movie without any cuts.
indianexpress.com
