Malayalam filmmaker Sanal Kumar Sasidharan has begun an indefinite hunger strike in front of the Kerala Secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram, urging the state government and legal authorities to take immediate action on several issues he has raised.
Sanal began the protest on Monday, placing his state film awards, among other belongings, on the street as he commenced the fast. According to the filmmaker, his demands concern serious social issues and are not merely personal matters.
Among his demands is an investigation into his allegation that actor Manju Warrier is being held captive by a sex racket. He has also called for an investigation into an alleged conspiracy behind the case previously filed against him in Manju's name. Further, Sanal has demanded that the Hema Committee report be made public and that a high-level investigation be conducted into the alleged sex racket mentioned in the report.
In a Facebook post on Monday, the Ozhiduvasathe Kali filmmaker listed his three demands, including an investigation into his allegation concerning Manju, a probe into the alleged conspiracy behind the case against him, and the release of the Hema Committee report along with a high-level probe into the alleged sex racket referred to in it.
Sanal said he had been speaking about the issues on social media for the past 100 days but claimed that neither the public nor the Kerala government had responded to his allegations. “Despite the social relevance of my issue, no one has come forward to express their support so far. This is a social issue, not a personal one. I have made a very serious allegation,” he said, adding that he was alone at the protest and feared that he could face attacks. “I am fighting against a big mafia. I request people to come and support me and come forward,” the filmmaker said.
In January 2025, Kochi police registered a second case against Sanal based on a complaint from Manju, who alleged that he had been harassing her through social media. The filmmaker was also accused of creating a false alarm through social media posts claiming that the Odiyan actor's life was under threat.
