The emergency casualty department of a taluk hospital in Angamaly, Ernakulam district, was transformed into a movie set for an entire night to shoot the Malayalam film "Payinkilli," produced by popular actor Fahad Fazil. The shoot commenced at 9 pm on Thursday and continued until early Friday morning.
The Kerala Human Rights Commission has taken notice of the media reports about this incident and has demanded an explanation within seven days from those responsible for granting permission to use the busy emergency department of the state-run hospital for filming.
The incident first caught media attention and subsequently sparked a social media outcry. The Human Rights Commission, upon learning about the situation on Friday, initiated a suo moto investigation and requested those who approved the shoot to clarify the circumstances.
A person who arrived at the hospital with a patient described the confusion and frustration experienced upon encountering the film crew. "When I came with a patient for an emergency, there were lots of people. Later found out there was a film shooting going on. The film people had posted security staff who were shooing away patients and bystanders. It's sad that permission is given to do this at a hospital where the poor and ordinary people come for their medical needs," the angry attendant said, according to a report on PTI.
Reports indicate that around 50 people associated with the film were present in the emergency department, causing further congestion while medical staff attended to patients. Complaints from patients and their attendants were reportedly ignored, with hospital authorities claiming that the top health officials had sanctioned the shoot.
In response to the controversy, Kerala Health Minister Veena George has sought an explanation from the director of the health department regarding the incident, reported India Today.
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