Controversies
Thilakan has been suspended and/or issued show cause notices several times by the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA), which made Thilakan an open critic on association's activities. He has also had issues with other film organisations such as the Film Employees Federation of Kerala (FEFKA) and the Malayalam Cine Technicians Association (MACTA).
In February 2010, it was reported that the producer of the movie Christian Brothers excluded Thilakan from the film at the request of the FEFKA, the predominant film technicians association. Thilakan had been earlier signed for a role in the film. The exclusion was reportedly due to Thilakan acting in a film by director Vinayan, who till recently headed the rival association MACTA. On February 3, 2010, Thilakan publicly protested against the unofficial ban enforced on him by FEFKA and blamed Mammootty for engineering the ban. The Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA) issued a show cause notice to Thilakan for bringing the issue into the public domain. Thilakan accused AMMA, of which he too is a member. On February 20, 2010 the issue gained political colours when CPI's trade union wing, AITUC, came out openly in support of Thilakan, while a senior party leader and Rajya Sabha member K. E. Ismail expressed reservations about his party getting involved in the tangle. Controversy led to the dismissal of the actor permanently from AMMA association after being asked several times by the AMMA's committee, headed by noted actor Innocent, to issue an unconditional apology, which he refused. He stated that unless and until he gets justice regarding why he was removed from the role in the movie Christian Brothers, he would not give an apology.
Thilakan was originally cast to play an important role in a UAE-Indian co-production film Dam 999. He was later replaced, following a notice from FEFKA stating that if Thilakan acted in the film, the association would boycott it. Sohan said they were forced to seek for a substitute for Thilakan when it came to the point that shooting might be disrupted. Eventually, Rajit Kapur was cast instead of Thilakan. There were reports that Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA) also had intervened in Thilakan's replacement. In a related development, Thilakan and his supporters had a march toward the shooting location of the film at Alappuzha.
During this time, Thilakan decided to come back to Drama. Thilakan directed and played the role of the main character of a freedom fighter - SuryaNarayanan in the play "Itho Daivangalude Nadu" (Is this the land of God) for the Drama troupe Alappuzha AksharaJwala.
In the middle of 2011, AMMA revised their decision of his dismisal after which he came back strongly with fantastic performance in malayalam film INDIAN RUPEE directed by famous Director Renjith, co acted by young star Prithviraj. His performance got applauses from all audiences even though the lead role has been done by Prithviraj.
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