Veteran producer and former general secretary of the Kerala Film Producers Association (KFPA), Sasi Ayyanchira, has publicly criticised the association’s leadership over its decision to reject Sandra Thomas’s nomination for the upcoming elections. Describing the move as unjust and undemocratic, he voiced strong support for Sandra, who is now pursuing legal action to challenge her disqualification.

Speaking to Mathrubhumi News, Sasi argued that Sandra met the eligibility criteria to contest for the posts of President and Treasurer, as set out by the association. “The rule is simple, three censor certificates are needed to contest for key positions, and one is enough for executive committee membership. Sandra had the required three, including two under her own banner and one from her earlier joint venture. There was no valid reason to reject her nomination,” he said.

Sasi further stated that had the office-bearers acted with fairness and maturity, the issue would not have escalated to the courts. “Those in power should have handled the situation responsibly. Instead, what we are seeing is a blatant misuse of authority,” he added. His remarks come amid increasing controversy surrounding the KFPA elections, scheduled for August 14. Sandra has alleged that the Returning Officer's decision was biased and selective. Her petition in the Ernakulam Sub Court seeks a stay on the rejection of her nomination and raises concerns about the same individual holding the post of Returning Officer for over two decades, which she argues violates the association’s constitution.

In a separate interview, Sandra claimed that veteran actor Mammootty personally called her and asked her to drop the legal case. The call, she said, lasted 45 minutes and ended with her asking, “If your daughter faced such injustice, would you tell her to stay silent?” According to Sandra, Mammootty offered no clear response and also withdrew from a planned film project with her.

Adding to the furore, Sasi accused the current leadership of running a parallel private company within the association, allegedly led by G Suresh Kumar. “They operate through a private limited company of ten people, who are also office-bearers. The revenue from distributing films to around 100 theatres is being pocketed by this group, not by the Producers Association. This was never approved by the general body,” he alleged. He also questioned the lack of transparency and accountability within the organisation. “The Producers Association is a charitable trust. It cannot legally generate profit. Yet, rooms in the association’s building are being privately occupied and treated like personal property. There are no records of earnings or decisions taken,” he said.

Calling for corrective action, Sasi insisted that the focus should be on those who have misused their position, not on sidelining whistle-blowers and staff members. “Whoever committed the wrongdoing should be removed, not those who exposed it,” he said. The KFPA has yet to officially respond to Sasi’s allegations.