Actor Biju Menon faces a Rs 15 lakh compensation demand from producers for allegedly skipping promotional duties for ‘Nadanna Sambhavam’. The Producers’ Association suggested deducting the amount from his current project’s pay. This follows accusations of a Rs 25 lakh loss due to his non-participation, impacting television rights. Menon has yet to comment.

The Producers’ Association has asked actor Biju Menon to pay Rs 15 lakh as compensation to the makers of his previous film ‘Nadanna Sambhavam’. The decision comes after the film’s producer, Anoop Kannan, alleged that he suffered a financial loss of Rs 25 lakh due to the actor’s absence from scheduled promotional activities. The organisation also suggested that the amount can be settled from the remuneration linked to the actor’s ongoing project with producer Listin Stephen, as reported by Asianet News. In a letter to the actor, the organisation also stated that it will not cooperate with Biju Menon if he fails to compensate the loss of the ‘Nadanna Sambhavam’ producer.Recently, Kannan revealed that Biju Menon reportedly didn’t appear for the promotional events of their 2024 film ‘Nadanna Sambhavam’, which allegedly led to a setback. His statement came soon after FEFKA General Secretary and filmmaker B Unnikrishnan publicly criticised Biju Menon for skipping promotional activities, which is part of the contract. Unnikrishnan was the first to say that a producer incurred losses of Rs 25 lakh due to Biju’s failure in honouring contractual commitments.

What did B. Unnikrishnan say earlier?

The whole controversy broke out on Monday, February 9, during a press meet, when FEFKA General Secretary B Unnikrishnan criticised Biju Menon for not taking part in film promotions. “A leading actor in Malayalam cinema did not attend promotions, because of which a producer, who is also a director and a member of our organisation, lost Rs 25 lakh from what he was supposed to receive from a television channel. Is that a small amount? The same actor has not gone for the promotions of a film directed by Jeethu Joseph as well. I am talking about Biju Menon. I have no fear in naming him,” B Unnikrishnan said. Following the accusation, producer Anoop Kannan told Manorama Online that Biju Menon’s non-participation in promotional activities caused him a loss of Rs 25 lakh. “We had signed up a contract drawn up by the Kerala Film Producers’ Association, which clearly states that lead actors are required to take part in promotional activities for 10 days. In our industry, it is understandable that artists may find it difficult to commit to promotions for 10 full days due to multiple work engagements. However, it is possible for them to make themselves available for two or three days,” Kannan said. The producer alleged that despite a clear contract and multiple requests, Biju Menon only cooperated for two and a half hours for promotional activities. “He had initially expressed his willingness to take part in the promotions. However, when the time came, he ignored my requests. I was forced to repeatedly reach out to both him and his manager, urging him to fulfil his commitment. In the end, he participated for just two-and-a-half hours on one day—arriving at 11.30 am and leaving by 2 pm, citing various reasons and concerns,” the producer added. Meanwhile, Biju Menon is yet to respond to the allegations levelled against him.Disclaimer: The information in this report is based on statements made by the parties involved as reported by a third-party source. The details provided represent allegations made by the parties involved and are not proven facts. The publication does not claim that the allegations are true.