Thilakan declines to appear before artistes' forum

Thiruvananthapuram, March 7: Veteran Malayalam actor Thilakan, who was suspended from the Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes (AMMA) for "indiscipline" after his tirade against the association and other senior actors, has decided not to appear before the disciplinary committee.

Speaking to IANS Sunday over telephone from Alappuzha where he is staying in a hotel after he dropped from an English Film "Dam 999" said that Monday is the last date for him to appear before the disciplinary committee of AMMA.

"I have decided not to go. Instead, I have asked my daughter to hand over my letter to the AMMA office in the capital city tomorrow (Monday). I decided against appearing before the committee because my conscience says I have done no wrong," said Thilakan.

For more than a month now, the 73-year-old is in dispute with various film organisations, including AMMA.

He was asked to appear before AMMA March 1, but he did not turn up following which the committee decided to suspend him and gave him a week's time to appear before it.

"There have been a few attempts from some quarters to settle this tiff. Some mediators have told me me that the matter can be resolved if I just express regret. But my conscience is clear because I have done no wrong. So the question of an apology does not arise at all," said Thilakan.

The veteran is miffed after he was dumped from the English movie "Dam 999" last week, even though the production team of the movie initially refused to replace him.

"I am now staying along with the team of 'Dam 999'. They came to me and expressed regret that they are unable to take me in the film because of pressure from various film bodies. They said that they will give me a copy of the letter from a film body asking them not to take me," said Thilakan.

If Thilakan does not appear before the disciplinary body, the suspension would become a dismissal.