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Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government on Sunday decided to constitute a Special Investigative Team (SIT) comprising senior women police officials to probe the allegations levelled by female actors in the Malayalam cinema.
Malayalam Film Industry In A State Of Turmoil
The Malayalam film industry was in a state of turmoil on Sunday with senior director Ranjith, the chairman, and Siddique, the general secretary of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes, resigning on Sunday, after actors levelled charges of sexual harassment and sexual advances against them. These charges were recorded in the Justice Hema Commission report which had, five years ago, delved into the working conditions of female artistes in the Malayalam film industry.
The report has revealed instances of harassment and exploitation of women by a ‘lustful lobby’, prompting calls for action against the guilty. Ranjith put in his papers as the chairman of the Chalachitra Academy, following revelations made by Bengali actor Sreelekha Mitra. The Left Government had, at first, defended Ranjith, a fellow Left traveller, but when the pressure mounted, the director had no choice but to quit his post.
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Allegations Made By Bengali Actor Sreelekha Mitra
Mitra had recently alleged that the award-winning filmmaker had behaved in an inappropriate manner during the shooting of a film he had helmed in 2009. Mitra said she had a negative experience while working on the film ‘Paleri Manikyam’, directed by Ranjith. The filmmaker has rejected the actor’s charge, claiming he was the ‘real victim’ in the case. He also said he would fight the accusations against him legally.
Ranjith was forced to announce his resignation on Sunday morning following intense protests against him and the state government, in view of the shocking charges. The opposition Congress and the BJP already made it clear Ranjith had no moral right to continue in the position. BJP activists had marched to Ranjith’s residence in Kozhikode on Sunday morning, demanding his resignation. In an audio clip sent to a television channel, Ranjith said he did not want to continue as chairman of the Chalachitra Academy, as it would adversely impact the reputation of the Left government in the state. Soon after, a bombshell was dropped by young actor Revathi Sampath, who detailed the sexual harassment she had had undergone at the hands of general secretary and senior character actor Siddique. He too stepped down, emailing his resignation to AMMA president Mohanlal, who has now called an emergency meeting of the association.
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Revathi Sampath Accuses Actor Riyaz Khan Of Sexual Misconduct
Sampath has also accused actor Riyaz Khan of sexual misconduct, claiming that he called her and made obscene remarks, even asking her to introduce him to her friends. Strangely, Mohanlal and Mammooty, the two behemoths of the Malayalam film industry, have so far not reacted to the Hema Commission report.
Actor and former MLA Mukesh has also been accused of sexual misconduct. Casting director Tess Joseph has alleged that Mukesh repeatedly forced her to come to his room during a programme that was being broadcast on a private channel. These revelations have placed CPM MLA Mukesh in a tight corner. However, Mukesh dismissed the allegations as baseless, stating that he had never met Tess Joseph and that he was being targeted because of his political affiliation with the CPM. Joseph had made the same complaint against Mukesh in 2018, and at that time too, he had denied the charge. Now, Joseph has renewed her allegations by sharing Mukesh’s picture on social media.
In the meantime, a complaint has been filed with the Kochi Police Commissioner against Siddique, based on Sampath’s disclosure. A resident of Vytilla lodged the complaint, requesting that a POCSO case be filed against Siddique as she was a minor when the incident took place. Sampath had previously told the media that Siddique had misbehaved with her while she was in +2 (Class 12), and she had first gone public with these allegations in 2019.
Meanwhile, in a move to douse the raging fire in the Kerala film industry, the state government has appointed yet another team to once again record the statements of the female actors, so that a case can be filed. Legal experts say this is nothing but a delaying tactic and an intimidatory move by the government.
Actors Call For Strong Actions Against The Accused Following Release Of Justice Hema Commission Report
Following the release of the Hema Committee report, senior actress Urvashi and others have called for strong action against the accused. Actresses Manju Warrier, Geetu Mohandas and Ramya Nambeesan have also taken to social media to emphasise that the struggle of the assaulted actors was instrumental in the formation of the Hema Committee report. Actor-screenwriter Ranji Panicker has responded to the situation by stating that Siddique and Ranjith cannot be removed or banned from the film industry based solely on the allegations. Though the state government has said legal action would be taken against the accused if the woman lodged a complaint with the police, on Sunday, Mitra said she did not wish to go ahead. “
I don’t want to file a complaint. Because for the last three days I have been hunted by the media across Kerala and Bengal. I have to go on with my work,” she told a television channel.
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She asked who would run her household were she to continue with this.
“I have initiated the process. I am handing over the baton to whoever is going to take it forward,” the actor said.
After Ranjith announced his resignation, State Cultural Affairs Minister Saji Cheriyan told reporters here that the government would accept the filmmaker’s resignation as soon as he sends it. Reiterating that the Left government had always stood by victims in issues relating to sexual assault and abuse, the minister also rejected allegations that he had tried to shield the accused director. The minister also accused the media of ‘misinterpreting’ his words and claimed that he had never supported Ranjith.
Cheriyan had courted controversy on Saturday saying Ranjith was one of the most acclaimed filmmakers of the country and no case could be registered based on just allegations and that such cases wouldn’t stand.
