Amal Neerad is coming up with an action-thriller in Bougainvillea that features an eclectic cast including Kunchacko Boban, Fahadh Faasil, Jyothirmayi, Sharaf U Dheen, Veena Nandakumar and Srinda. The first song from the movie, "Sthuthi", had come up a few days back, and it featured Kunchacko Boban, Jyothirmayi and music composer Sushin Shyam. The song has already caused controversy with a Malabar Christian association over its lyrics. And now Bougainvillea finds itself in a minor controversy over the casting of Jyothirmayi. ‘Bougainvillea’ Song ‘Sthuthi’: Kunchacko Boban and Jyothirmayi Show Why They Are Two of Malayalam Cinema’s Best Dancers in This Sushin Shyam Banger.

For those who don't know, Jyothirmayi is the wife of director Amal Neerad. She had taken a break from acting for the past 11 years and is making Bougainvillea a comeback to the big screen. However, her comeback is seeing some detractors who call her casting in the movie an example of nepotism.

Rima Kallingal, who had posted an appreciation post for Jyothirmayi on Instagram, engaged in a furious debate with one such critic, who triggered her by claiming that she is supporting nepotism now when she had taken an opposing stand against it.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Rima Kallingal (@rimakallingal)

The user kept insisting that the director casting his wife as the main lead in his film is an example of nepotism, and he also brought out Rima Kallingal's own casting in Aashiq Abu's Neelavelicham to drive his point. The actress, in her friend's defence, asked him to check the credentials of Jyothirmayi first before putting a shade on her casting. Soon enough, the debate snowballed to accusations of misogyny and patriarchy and counter-accusations of narcissism. ‘Bougainvillea’: Syro Malabar Church Condemns Sushin Shyam’s ‘Sthuthi’, Claims Kunchacko Boban Film Song Portrays Christianity in a Negative Light.

Interestingly, the user who argued with Rima Kallingal had nothing to say about the casting of Fahadh Faasil and Kunchacko Boban, both of whom started off in the industry as star kids before they became established stars. BTW, here's the definition of nepotism as per Oxford - "the practice among those with power or influence of favouring relatives, friends, or associates, especially by giving them jobs."

Jyothirmayi and Amal Neerad

Before they got married, Jyothirmayi had only worked with Amal Neerad in one movie, the 2009 film Sagar Alias Jacky Reloaded, where she had a special appearance in the song "Osama". The actress was known for her roles in Meesha Madhavan (the "Chingamaasam" song was a breakout moment for her), Kalyanaraman, Pattalam, Ente Veedu Appuvinteyum, Janakan, Seniors, etc. She was earlier married to Nishanth Kumar but the couple got divorced in 2011. Jyothirmayi later married Amal Neerad in 2015 while she was on a break from acting.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 03, 2024 10:12 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).