Filmmaker Vinayan urges Kerala CM to remove B. Unnikrishnan from government film panel

Filmmaker Vinayan (file)
| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Filmmaker Vinayan has urged Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan to drop B. Unnikrishnan, general secretary of the Film Employees Federation of Kerala (FEFKA), from the government’s committee for formulation of film policy stating that he was penalised by the Competition Commission of India (CCI) for indulging in anti-competitive practices.

In a letter sent to Mr. Vijayan on Wednesday (August 28, 2024), Mr. Vinayan said a person who had been found guilty of anti-competitive practices should not be included in such a committee as the Supreme Court had in September 2020 rejected the plea submitted by the trade organisations and individuals found responsible for the violation of provisions of the Competition Act.

The CCI, which had issued an order on March 24, 2017, based on Mr. Vinayan’s complaint had imposed a total penalty of ₹11.25 lakh on FEFKA, the Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes (AMMA) and its representatives. Mr. Vinayan had submitted that they had denied him the right to work by asking artistes, technicians, and producers not to work with him.

The letter recalled that Mr. Unnikrishnan was imposed a penalty of ₹32,026 as general secretary of FEFKA, while Sibi Malayil, its president, was asked to pay a fine of ₹66,356. The CCI had imposed a penalty of ₹4 lakh on AMMA and ₹85,594 on FEFKA respectively in the case filed by Mr. Vinayan.