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Priyadarshan resigns from Chalachitra Academy post [News] [Times of India](Times of India Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Veteran director Priyadarshan's resignation as chairman of Chalachithra Academy seems to be the aftermath of a series of issues that have been smouldering within the academy for a while. The film director, whose three-year term is ending later this month, has decided not to seek a new term and handed over the resignation letter to Minister for Cinema Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan on Wednesday. Though Priyadarshan maintained that the resignation was owing to personal reasons and to focus more on his film projects, a close source says that the director was quite upset over the internal politics brewing in the Academy, and that he had wanted to quit ever since his close aid former minister for cinema K B Ganesh Kumar resigned from the Academy last year. Priyadarshan had reportedly said that the present set up of the Academy has been quite detrimental and he was forced to apologise for unwanted issues on many occasions. Since he couldn't completely devote his time for the Academy, he decided not to seek a fresh term, said the source. During his tenure, Chalachithra Academy got embroiled in a slew of controversies, which required the Chairman to come out with clarifications. Incidentally, a month ago, film editor Beena Paul Venugopal had also quit as the artistic director of the International Film Festival of Kerala. Minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan said that the state government will constitute a new committee and a new chairperson will be appointed soon. There are reports that National Award winning director Rajeev Nath has an edge over other hopefuls for the chairperson's post. (c) 2014 Bennett, Coleman & Company Limited |