The release of the film La Tomatina has been affected by the arrest of one of its lead actors Sreejith Ravi in a Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act case, director of the film Sajeevan Anthikkad has said. No cinema hall in the State or OTT platform is ready to screen the movie, he said.
Addressing mediapersons here on Monday Mr. Anthikkad said the film’s producer was now a victim of the crime committed by the actor. “The film was produced at ₹1.40 crore,” the director said. The shooting of the film was completed months before the actor’s arrest, he said. Sreejith Ravi is one of the heroes of the film. The other is Joy Mathew.
Under medication
“Sreejith Ravi has been suffering from some mental issues. He was under medication. But we were not aware of that. He never used to drive alone. We used to provide a taxi for him,” Mr. Anthikkad said. “The incident shows that the responsibility of an actor does not end with the completion of a film’s shooting. His family should have been careful if he was suffering from such an problem,” Mr. Anthikkad said. He urged the theatre owners and online releasing platforms to intervene in the release of the film.
