Kozhikode, Thursday, 25 February 2010: Sukumar Azhikode said in a press conference as a reply to the AMMA President Innocent that, “This is for the first time that I am being dragged into controversies due to my words are misinterpreted. Had I known that my words would make such big controversies, I would not have made a comment on this issue.

Usually, I used to rethink about the likely after effects while involving in such controversial issues,” The use of ‘informal you’ had hurt me, Azhikode said. (Mohanlal had used the word ‘Ayal’ - the third person singular word - to denote Azhikode, which is considered as a term of irreverence in Malayalam while addressing elder people)

I am a person who has 40 to 50 books to my credit. I don’t need anybody’s sanction to involve in such social issues, he said. He also said about the struggles that he faced to write the book ‘Tatwamasi.’

The idea to protest injustice had first occurred in mind when I was 12 years old. There was an injustice against actor Thilakan, so I protested. He said that an actor like Mohanlal should not behave like a donkey that carries saffron. Innocent is not ‘innocent’, Azhikode added.

The talent of an actor flourishes mostly during his younger days. After those days, they can’t continue that charisma, he said. The super stars are disturbed with the thought of losing their stardom. Only one person had criticised my writing, it was Kuttikrishna Marar, who pointed out the excessive use of Sanskrit terms in my writings during the beginning of my literary career.

Now, these actors are criticising a person who once was a teacher. Innocent’s comments about me are like the mumbo jumbo made by an ignorant elephant rider who does not know about the culture of Kerala. He replied to Innocent’s earlier comments with a counter question, “Who told Innocent that Rama mantra is meant for elderly people to chant?”

‘I am more handsome than a Mohanlal without his make-up,’ he added.The superstars get.5.5 crore rupees for their ‘plaster of paris’ face, while I am getting 1500 rupees for writing an article in a news paper, he said.