'Biju Menon did not attend promotions, producer suffered loss of Rs 25 lakhs; B Unnikrishnan lashes out at actor

KOCHI: FEFKA General Secretary B. Unnikrishnan has publicly criticised actor Biju Menon, alleging that a film producer suffered a loss of Rs 25 lakh after the actor failed to cooperate with promotional activities despite signing a contract. He made the remarks at a press conference in Kochi.

“I am not afraid to mention anyone by name. I am speaking about Biju Menon,” Unnikrishnan said. He alleged that the producer of the film 'Nadanna Sambhavam' suffered financial losses as television channels reduced payments due to the actor’s absence from promotional events. He also noted that Biju Menon recently did not participate in the promotional activities of director Jeethu Joseph’s film. Unnikrishnan emphasised that taking part in promotions is part of the contractual agreement signed by actors.

During the press meet, Unnikrishnan also outlined the new wage and labour agreement in the Malayalam film industry. He said the revised agreement introduces significant changes to existing work practices. Standard working hours have been reduced from 16 hours to 12 hours. He added that delays caused by actors arriving late on set, which force workers to work beyond scheduled hours, will no longer be permitted.

The new agreement also includes provisions to safeguard workers’ rest time, overtime wages and other rights. It has been jointly signed by the producers’ association and FEFKA.