Classical vocalist, composer, and music producer Ramesh Narayan found himself at the center of controversy on Tuesday after a video surfaced showing him allegedly disrespecting Malayalam film actor Asif Ali while accepting an award from him at 'Manorathangal' trailer launch in Kochi.
What actually happened
The incident occurred on July 15 during the trailer release of an anthology based on nine stories by the eminent writer M T Vasudevan Nair. The viral video captures the moment when Asif Ali stepped onto the stage to present the award. Narayan appeared disinterested and accepted the award without acknowledging Ali.
In a surprising turn of events, Narayan then called film director Jayaraj to the stage and handed him the award. After posing for photographs, Jayaraj returned the award to Narayan.
Watch the viral video here:
Narayan gets backlash
Youth Congress State President Rahul Mamkootathil condemned Narayan’s actions. "A young man who has been standing firm for about a year-and-a-half through hard work and dedication will not be eliminated by trying to remove him through 'seniority complex'," he was quoted as saying by PTI.
Narayan clarifies his actions
Facing widespread criticism, Narayan clarified his actions, denying any intentional disrespect towards Ali. "If it seemed that way, I apologise. I didn't even know Asif Ali was presenting the award. Many film stars were standing there when Ali suddenly appeared and gave me the award. I wanted Jayaraj to be there, so I called him on stage. Meanwhile, Ali disappeared. If Asif Ali had been there too, the three of us could have shared a loving moment," he told reporters.
Narayan also spoke about his respect for Ali, calling him a dear friend and expressing his admiration for the actor’s work. "I was about to call him. If I made a mistake, I apologize," Narayan said.
As of now, Asif Ali has not responded to the controversy.