Debutant Malayalam film director Liju Krishna of the upcoming Nivin Pauly-starrer Padavettu has been arrested after sexual assault allegations were leveled against him by a young woman. According to reports, the woman who assisted the filmmaker with the work in his film had lodged a complaint at the Kakkanad Infopark station. Shooting for Padavettu, which was progressing at Liju's hometown Kannur, has also reportedly been put on hold after he was taken into custody and is expected to be produced at the court in Kochi on Monday.
Padavettu is the directorial debut of Liju, who has also penned the film’s script and screenplay. The film stars leading Malayalam actor Nivin Pauly, National Award-winning actress Manju Warrier and Tamil heroine Aditi Balan of Aruvi fame. Touted to be an intense action political drama, the upcoming film's production is said to be nearing its final stages, with the makers planning for a release this year. With Liju being taken into custody, the shooting schedule for the film remains unclear at this point.
Being produced by Malayalam actor Sunny Wayne, Padavettu also features a talented supporting cast that includes Shammi Thilakan, Shine Tom Chacko, Indrans, Sudheesh, and Vijayaraghavan among others. Currently, one of the most-anticipated Malayalam films, Padavettu has music by 96 fame Govind Vasantha, with Deepak D Menon and Shafique Muhamed Ali serving as the cinematographer and editor, respectively.