The 55th Kerala State Film Awards were announced recently, and the jury, chaired by Prakash Raj, has landed in controversy for honouring rape accused rapper Vedan with the Best Lyricist award. Hirandas Murali, better known as rapper Vedan, was awarded for the Kuthanthram song from the 2024 hit film, Manjummel Boys. Now, Filmmaker-screenwriter and founding member of Women in Cinema Collective (WCC), Deedi Damodaran, has called out this decision, given the accusations levelled against the rapper.
Deedi wrote on Facebook that while Vedan’s lyrics were “magnificent", they were also “stained by blood". Deedi wrote, “The jury’s decision amounts to a breach of trust against the government’s policy declarations at the recent film conclave that those who exploit women will not be protected."
The

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