Mohanlal, Azhikode spar over ban on Thilakan

The controversy over a ban imposed by the Malayalam film industry on veteran actor Thilakan took a new turn yesterday with superstar Mohanlal crossing swords with leading literary critic and orator Sukumar Azhikode. Azhikode, a supporter of the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) claimed Mohanlal had called him seeking his mediation to end the row. But Mohanlal denied the claim saying it was a  mere hallucination  of the 83-year-old social critic. Azhikode, who has accused top actors of ruining the industry by overcharging and not letting talented actors like Thilakan their right to pursue their career, said Mohanlal had called him from Dubai and requested his mediation to end the stalemate. Speaking to reporters in Thrissur yesterday, Azhikode said he had also called Thilakan and both sides had accepted his offer to mediate and bring them around a table. The date and venue had to be decided. Mohanlal reacted sharply and dubbed Azhikode s remarks as a  joke by an elderly man.   Everybody knows that he has little idea about the industry and there is no point in talking to this person.   I was very much here shooting a Malayalam film when I rang him up to tell him to spare me and don t try to bully me,  Mohanlal said.  Then he said I should take the initiative to patch up with Thilakan and I told him ours is a professional body and it has the competence to address such issues.  The Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes and the Film Employees  Federation of Kerala (FEFKA), of which all leading directors and technicians are members, had decided not to co-operate with Thilakan unless he withdrew derogatory  statements he allegedly made against them and apologise.  If Thilakan wants to continue in AMMA, or any other organisation, he should talk to its officials and solve the issues. The person called Azhikode has nothing to do with the industry and his claim is absurd,  Mohanlal said. Azhikode had lashed out at Mohanlal and said his love scenes in movies had become unpalatable. He also repeatedly criticised the actor for endorsing jewellery firms and found fault with him defending Mammootty, whom he accused of demanding Rs65mn for a film.  I told him to leave me alone. Even Amitabh Bachchan endorses commercial products,  Mohanlal said. Eminent writer T Padmanabhan criticised Azhikode saying he was suffering from an inferiority complex and hence jealous at  beautiful people like Mohanlal and Mammootty.   Who invited him to mediate between the stars? He doesn t even watch movies,  Padmanabhan said. Director Satyan Anthikkad and actor Mamukkoya also opposed Azhikode s  intervention . Culture Minister M A Baby meanwhile said the government was ready to intervene if the industry wished. Thilakan, who has been asked to appear before the disciplinary committee headed by AMMA president Innocent on March 1, said he was ready to talk on his own terms.