In Kerala life imitates cinema. More dramatic elements are enacted of late in the day-to-day life of actors and producers in Malayalam than in reel life.

The scenario has 'box office' impact in media because Manju Varrier wife of actor Dileep, and still a darling of Malayalam moviegoers for her artistic talents, is also dragged unnecessarily in to the case.

A bank cheque for more than rupees one lakh as remuneration paid by the producer Mr. Dinesh Panikkar to Dileep got bounced. His brother Sivakumar filed a complaint on behalf of actor Dileep. The producer got arrested from Trivandrum and brought to a court of law in Aluva.

The film chamber of commerce on urgent call from producers association convened a meeting to decide upon a ban on Dileep and is under pressure to declare it immediately. They consider the act as utmost irreverence committed against the producers' community some of the producers are furious that a comparatively junior star like Dileep had shown guts to sue a producer, which is never heard in the history of 60+-year-old Malayalam cinema. But the artists' fraternity had lined up behind Dileep for a legally valid act against the producer, which they themselves wanted to initiate several times in the past.

Dileep who was abroad in connection with a number of stage programs had suddenly terminated his tour and returned to Cochin. He flew back from Germany on Tuesday.

Meanwhile Mr Dinesh Panikkar who was given bail by the court had stated that he had paid the money personally to Manju Varrier at her residence and that he failed to take back the Cheque. The controversy hots up in the media. Almost all artists had several times in their carrier experienced similar cases but nobody had taken up the matter to the court. This is field where no labor laws exist and no proper execution of contract takes place, except in the cases of established heroes. Artists rarely go to court against the misdeeds of producers for fear of loosing their future chances.

But it is to be noted that the producers are acting like they are the providence and nothing should go against them. They had been conditioned by a system where artists were exploited in all respects until they became darlings of people and they brought box office success to producers.

However the producers see an end to an era of unquestioned superiority with this Dileep episode.

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