Bengaluru drug scam echoes in Kerala

Opposition goes after Bineesh, son of ruling party secretary CPI(M) Kodiyeri Balakrishnan

After the confiscation of drugs from an apartment complex in Kalyan Nagar in Bengaluru last week, the Muslim League in Kerala is pointing fingers at Bineesh Kodiyeri, son of CPI(M) general secretary Kodiyeri Balakrishnan.

The CPI(M) is the ruling party in Kerala, and the scandal in Bengaluru has triggered a blame game there. It all began with the Narcotics Control Bureau arresting D Anikha, a serial actress, and telling the media she was supplying drugs to prominent people in the Kannada film industry.

Rijesh Raveendran and Anoop Muhammad are two others arrested in Bengaluru. In Kerala, Muslim Youth League state general secretary P K Firoz has accused Bineesh of “sponsoring” drug smuggling.

Bineesh says he has known Anoop for years as a textiles dealer but has no knowledge about the drugs racket. He admits Anoop used to book hotels for him for his Bengaluru visits.

Old photos of Anoop and Bineesh together, shared on Facebook, have also emerged. Firoz says the two of them had attended a party together during the lockdown on June 19. By his own admission, Bineesh has loaned Anoop Rs 6 lakh to start a restaurant.

The Opposition is linking the case to the gold smuggling row raging in Kerala. The main accused in the case, Swapna Suresh, was arrested in Bengaluru on July 10. Firoz says if Bineesh’s call records are recovered, a possible connection may be revealed.

The Pinarayi Vijayan government maintains that the new controversy is an attempt to influence Assembly elections due in May.

'Elders against youngsters'

The drug scandal in Bengaluru took a twist on Friday, with the police arresting actor Ragini Dwivedi.

Her friend Ravi Shankar, an RTO employee, is being questioned.

An actor blamed the modelling industry for introducing drugs into the film industry. “You see many models becoming actors and actors walking the ramp,” he says.

It is not easy for actors to take drugs regularly because they have to act, do fight scenes, and memorise and render dialogues. Drugs don’t let them do all that, he says.

Showtime spoke to several well-known names in the industry, and it looks like the controversy has pitted older actors against younger ones: the old guard says new players lack commitment and respect for the art.

The Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce met on September 2, and said Indrajit Lankesh, who has provided leads to the police, should have first approached industry elders.

“There’s really no issue that can’t be internally resolved. Indrajit should not have dragged the industry’s name into it. We are so upset over what has happened,” says a senior actor who known for his comedy roles.

Another senior actor, who has acted with Dr Rajkumar and Vishnuvardhan, laments the industry has degenerated.

“In our time, there was dignity and contentment. We respected our craft. Today, you see glamour and money taking precedence over work,” he says.

He also feels the actors of yesteryear shared warmth and genuine friendship. “We didn’t have cell phones or vanity vans like the actors of today. We ate together and mingled with each other,” he says.

A prominent actor and member of the KFCC says the Kannada film industry was shaped by stalwarts like Dr Rajkumar, Subbaiah Naidu, Kemparaj Urs, and Gubbi Veeranna who struggled to give it standing. “What have we come to?” he says.

Another senior star, who has had many hit films to his credit, says young stars are so overwhelmed by success that they lose their sense of balance.

“They want everything money can buy, and lose out on many things, including their self-esteem,” he says.

A female lead in big films says TV is spreading negativity and she has stopped watching the news.

“Actors are most vulnerable because their names get dragged into everything, including politics, sex scandals and financial scams. It is sad that actors are used for juicy gossip,” says the actor.

‘Help them, they’re victims’

An actor says those who consumed drugs need help and rehabilitation. “They are victims who require empathy and counselling,” he says. Celebrities get undue credit as well as undue blame. Drug use is pervasive in many professions, but focusing on film celebrities makes news, he observes.