Deedi Damodaran calls Vedan’s award a breach of trust, academy says only entry not person considered

The state honour for Kerala rapper and lyricist Vedan, an accused in two rape cases, has been marred by sharp outrage on social media. Deedi Damodaran, founding member of Women in Cinema Collective (WCC) and screenwriter, denounced the award conferred on Vedan in a stinging post on Facebook.

The 55th Kerala State Film Award for Best Lyricist was awarded to Hirandas Murali, popularly known by his stage name Vedan, for his song ‘Kuthanthram’ from Manjummel Boys. Vedan faces two cases; the first one involves a young doctor who alleged that he deceived her with a promise of marriage; the second pertains to the harassment of a research student.

Deedi wrote that the jury’s decision amounted to a breach of trust against the government’s declaration at the Kerala Film Conclave that it would not protect those who exploit women. “The lines — ‘Viyarppu Thunniyitta Kuppayam, Athin Nirangal Mangukilla Kattaayam...’ — are truly inspiring.

“But the award, tainted by the blood that flowed from the wounds of those complainants in the cover of darkness, is an injustice. No song of praise can erase or conceal that sin. The jury’s decision amounts to a breach of trust against the government’s declaration at the Film Conclave that it would not protect those who exploit women. Even if it cannot now be revoked in court, the jury has etched this decision into the pages of film history, for which they owe an apology to the women of Kerala. #WithHer,” she wrote. Deedi also shared The Survivor (1950), a painting by René Magritte, along with the post.

Didi told Onmanorama that she wrote the post from the survivors’ perspective. “When a government gives an award in its own name, it carries a message — and from the survivors’ point of view, that message isn’t positive,” she said.

She clarified that her remarks were not about Vedan’s Dalit identity, but about accountability. “Some may believe art should be separated from the artist — that’s fine, but my view is different. The same government that received complaints from these women has now honoured the man they accused. That’s the contradiction I highlighted. Silence in such cases normalises and legitimises the act.”

Citing Pablo Neruda’s example, she said: “I’ve always admired Neruda’s poetry, but when Chile proposed naming an airport after him, women objected, noting his own admission of assaulting a Sri Lankan domestic worker. They argued that such a person’s name shouldn’t be used for a public institution. Likewise, while the lines from Kuthanthram are powerful, we cannot ignore the context. I genuinely admire Vedan’s poetry too. My intention wasn’t to deny his talent or to glorify others, but to question recognition for someone facing an active complaint.”

Linking her reaction to the government’s earlier promises, Deedi added: “Awards carry a political statement. After the Film Conclave, where the government pledged not to protect perpetrators and to ensure a women-friendly work culture, we expected policy action — but this gesture shows otherwise. The policy from that conclave hasn’t been made public yet, despite the Hema Committee and review sessions. Raising these questions is essential; silence only normalises such acts. That’s why I responded — it was the only way I could.”

Reacting to the criticism, an official source said the panel bases its decisions solely on the 128 entries submitted to it. "They (panel members) closely evaluate the entries as per the guidelines and other aspects. Only the art and creativity are examined — not any other factors," the source added. Minister for film & culture Saji Cherian, who declared the awards, could not be reached for a comment.

Recently, the Kerala High Court, while granting bail to Vedan, had stated that moral virtues cannot determine the legality of a case. “The moral virtues or the lack of them of a person accused of an offence cannot be the criterion for determining the legality of an issue raised against him before a court of law. When confronted with an issue, a court of law cannot deviate from the circumstances arising in the individual case. Of course, antecedents may have a bearing in appropriate cases,” the order stated.

Earlier, protests had erupted over Calicut University's decision to include Vedan’s song 'Bhoomi Njan Vazhunnidam' in the third-semester Malayalam syllabus for BA students.