Actor Vinayakan was questioned by the Kochi City Cyber Police over a complaint alleging that he had made derogatory remarks on social media. The interrogation pertained to comments he made regarding the death of former Kerala chief minister V S Achuthanandan, as well as another earlier post that had drawn complaints. Vinayakan appeared for questioning at around 11 am, after which he was released when police determined there were no legal grounds to register a case against him. The actor reportedly said to the police that what he had posted on Facebook was a poem.
Investigators also examined Vinayakan’s phone. In addition to KJ Yesudas and Adoor Gopalakrishnan, he had allegedly insulted a journalist through a post filled with obscene language. He had issued an apology later, though without reference to the journalist or the other controversies surrounding him. The complaint that prompted the summons was filed by the Youth Congress district president. Vinayakan has so far declined to comment publicly on the matter.
Film industry bodies have also weighed in on the matter. The Film Employees Federation of Kerala (FEFKA) earlier demanded action against Vinayakan for remarks directed at Yesudas. The Malayalam playback singers’ association, Singers Association Malayalam Movies (SAMAM), condemned the actor’s comments, describing them as examples of “toxic presence” on social media. In a strongly worded statement, the association warned that unless Vinayakan issued a public apology mentioning Yesudas by name, people of goodwill in the state might choose to boycott films featuring him or public events in which he participates.
Earlier, his Facebook rant targeting both Adoor and Yesudas had prompted widespread condemnation. The now-deleted post, laden with extreme profanity and personal insults, accused Adoor of elitism and class prejudice in response to the latter’s remarks at a state film conclave, where the veteran filmmaker questioned government support for women and filmmakers from Scheduled Caste and Tribe communities without prior training. Vinayakan claimed his use of coarse language was a deliberate counter to what he described as the “Sanskrit” abuse of the elite.
On the working front, Vinayakan has the Mammootty-starrer Kalamkaval, the third instalment in the Aadu franchise, Tom Emmatty's Perunnal and an untitled fantasy comedy co-starring Jayasurya in his upcoming lineup.
