Ramesh Narayan issues clarification after snubbing Asif Ali: 'I really like him. Don't know how it happened'

Ramesh Narayan and Asif Ali

Malayalam music director Ramesh Narayan made headlines after he refused to accept an award from actor Asif Ali at the trailer launch of ZEE5's 'Manorathangal'. At the event, Asif walked towards Ramesh to present him with a memento. However, he refused to accept the award and instead asked Jayaraj to present it to him. The video instantly went viral on social media.

Now, Ramesh Narayan has spoken about the event while interacting with the press in Kerala. "I have never insulted anyone in my life, neither do I intend to do it. I never display any kind of discrimination towards anyone. I like Asif Ali a lot and I have no clue as to how this happened."

In the viral video, the anchor is heard announcing that Asif Ali will present Ramesh Narayan with a memento for his contribution to Malayalam cinema. However, he takes the memento from Asif without looking at him and instead calls for the anthology's director Jayaraj to present it to him. Initially, the filmmaker hesitated to fill Asif's shoes. He reluctantly presented the memento to Ramesh Narayan. In the background, actors Biju Menon and Indrajith were also visibly surprised and taken aback by this action.

About Manorathangal:

Meanwhile, ZEE5 dropped the trailer of the Malayalam anthology 'Manorathangal'. The upcoming anthology will feature nine stories from eight directors of Malayalam cinema. The anthology will also features some of the best actors of Malayalam cinema including Mohanlal and Mammootty. Apart from the big Ms, the film will also features Asif Ali, Indrajith Sukumaran, Fahadh Faasil, Biju Menon, Parvathy Thiruvothu, Aparna Balamurali, Nadhiya Moidu, Siddique, Madhoo, Ann Augustine, Durga Krishna, Indrans,

Kamal Haasan is seen as the narrator. The theme of the anthology is stories written by the contemporary legendary writer MT Vasudevan Nair.

The segments have been directed by Ashwathy Nair, Rathish Ambat, Mahesh Narayanan, Shyamprasad, Ranjith, Jayaraj, Santosh Sivan, and Priyadarshan.