Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 1 (IANS): Time and again there is a flare up in the Malayalam film industry when popular film personalities engage in a war of words, and the latest one has started between director Vinayan and his fellow director Ranjith, presently chairman of the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy.

This time this present ego outburst began soon after the State film awards was announced, under the chairmanship of the Academy- Ranjith.

Vinayan, a known CPI activist, has threatened to move the court if the Pinarayi Vijayan government "fails" to intervene in the matter, alleging that Ranjith had " influenced" the State film award jury’s decision-making regarding his film 'Pathonpatham Noottandu'.

Controversy erupted when Vinayan in a post on Facebook claimed that a senior member of the award jury had even informed the Cultural Affairs Minister’s office regarding the academy Chairman’s alleged attempts to influence the jury.

Vinayan in another post came out with a voice clip of a jury member saying that Ranjith did not deserve to continue in the post.

Vinayanis in no mood to relent and has decided to wait a few days to see if the Vijayan government will act or if Ranjith on his own decides to put in his paper and if neither of the two happens, he will approach the judiciary to see things like this do not happen again, sources said.

Ranjith has directed quite a few notable films and has also donned the grease paint, but of late, his directorial ventures have not shaken the box office, as in the past. And on the present outbreak of the controversy, he is maintaining stoic silence.