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Mahila Congress members attempt to cross police barricades during a protest march outside the District Police Headquarters in Thiruvananthapuram on August 26, 2024. They are demanding an inquiry into the findings of the Hema Committee report. | Photo credit: The Hindu
Amid allegations of sexual harassment in the Malayalam film industry following the release of the Hema Committee report, more women have come forward and levelled allegations against leading actors and a filmmaker.
He also expressed his willingness to give evidence to the Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed by the state government on Sunday to probe the allegations.
On Monday, actress Meenu Munir alleged that some big names in the industry physically and verbally abused her. Communist Party of India (Marxist) MLA and actor M. Mukeshactor and producer Maniyanpilla Raju, actor and former general secretary of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes (AMMA) Edavela Babu, actor Jayasurya, a production controller and others. Mr Raju has denied the allegations while the others are yet to react. The allegations against Mr Mukesh led to protests by the Mahila Congress and Yuva Morcha at his residence in Kollam.
‘Forced to leave the industry’
“In the year 2013, I was physically and verbally abused by these individuals while working on a project. I tried to cooperate and continue working, but the abuse became unbearable. As a result, I was forced to leave the Malayalam film industry and relocate to Chennai. I am now seeking justice and accountability for the trauma and suffering I have suffered,” Ms Muneer said in a Facebook post. She later elaborated on the allegations while addressing the media.
while talking to the hinduActress Gayatri Varsha confirmed Ms Munir’s allegations against Mr Raju. “We were acting in the film The Thadiya When the incident happened, she told me about the efforts made by Mr. Raju at that time. But, she did not lodge a complaint then. The current atmosphere after the publication of the Hema Committee report has given her the courage to speak. She said she will give evidence to the SIT and if the team contacts me, I will definitely give a statement,” she said.
Speaking to the media, Mr. Raju said many such “fake allegations” were likely to come from people who “want to extort money or who are upset at not getting a chance in films”. He said these allegations should be investigated, else even innocent people will get caught up. AMMA joint secretary and actor Baburaj also reiterated similar sentiments after a junior artiste, who chose not to be named, accused him of raping her at his house in Aluva. The junior artistes will also produce evidence before the SIT.
A young woman writer, who also chose not to be named, accused a leading filmmaker of molesting her by calling her to a hotel in Kollam for a story discussion session in 2022. Actresses Geetha Vijayan and Sridevika accused filmmaker Thulasidas of knocking on their doors at night during the shooting of a film in 2007, though the filmmaker denied the charge. Ms Sridevika said in a statement that she has been in talks with the filmmaker. The Hindu, He said he was ready to give a statement before the SIT and demanded that the AMMA leadership open its eyes and take action on these issues.
Complaints filed
On Monday, Bengali actress Srilekha Mitra filed a formal complaint against filmmaker Ranjit for inappropriate behaviour. Actor Siddique, who resigned as AMMA general secretary following Revathi Sampath’s allegations of sexual harassment, filed a complaint against her with the state police chief, accusing her of a criminal conspiracy to fabricate and spread false allegations against him.
Opinion: The reality of reel life, exploitation as a structural problem
Meanwhile, AMMA, which has come under pressure from its own members for not taking a strong stand on the committee report, has postponed the emergency executive meeting scheduled for Tuesday, citing inconvenience to AMMA president and actor Mohanlal.
Amid criticism of male superstars’ silence on these issues, actor Prithviraj criticised AMMA’s failures and said that the allegations should be taken with utmost seriousness and harsh punishment should be meted out if they are found to be true. “Strict action is required from AMMA. People in various positions should resign if allegations have been made against them. Hopefully, this is the beginning of the process of cleaning up the mess,” he said. He also recalled instances of ostracism he has experienced in the past.
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