I am not part of any power group, says Malayalam star Mohanlal
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): Actor Mohanlal on Saturday said he was not part of any power group in the Malayalam film industry and he has no knowledge of the existence of any such group in the sector.
He said Malayalam cinema is a huge industry where thousands of people work and the actors's association AMMA (Association of Malayalam Movie Artists) could not address issues that cropped up there.
He said the executive panel of the Association headed by him resigned recently in the wake of allegations being raised against it after the release of the report by Justice Hema Committee.
It was for the first time that Mohanlal, former president of AMMA, was addressing the media following the release of the expert panel report which shed light on the alleged harassment and exploitation of women professionals in the Malayalam film industry.
"Wrongdoers should be punished if there is evidence against them," the "Kireedam" actor said while referring to the allegations of sexual misconduct and assaults that surfaced against some of the members of the Association.
"I am not part of any power group in Malayalam cinema and not aware of the existence of any such group," the actor said.
He also said the release of Hema Committee report was a good decision of the government.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Dhyan Chand lifetime award to be replaced by Arjuna lifetime
New Delhi, Oct 24: The sports ministry on Thursday announced the discontinuation of the Dhyan Chand Award for lifetime achievement from this year onwards and the introduction of the Arjuna Award Lifetime in its place in a bid to "rationalise" the various sporting honours of the country.
Instituted in 2002, the Dhyan Chand Lifetime Award, named after hockey wizard Major Dhyan Chand, is given to individuals in disciplines that are part of the Olympic Games, Paralympic Games, Asian Games and Commonwealth Games, among others.
In 2023, the award was given to former shuttler Manjusha Kanwar, ex-hockey exponent Vineet Kumar and kabaddi player Kavitha Selvaraj.
"The various schemes for sports awards have been rationalised wherein Arjuna Award (Lifetime) has been introduced in place of Dhyan Chand Award. To recognise the efforts of coaches at grassroots/development level, they are now eligible for the Dronacharya Award," said a ministry statement.
"The Arjuna Award (Lifetime) has been introduced and will be given for life time contribution to sports development.
"Further, to recognize the Khelo India scheme, the Maulana Abdul Kalam Azad (MAKA) Trophy will be given to the University for Overall Top Performance in Khelo India University Games," it added.
The last date for applying for the national sports awards for 2024 is November 14.
