Mollywood's #MeToo: Malayalam film industry rocked by sexual assault allegations, 17 cases filed
In the aftermath of the Hema committee report, seventeen women have come forward with allegations, with one actress facing threats on social media for doing so
The Malayalam film industry, Mollywood, has been shaken to it's core as 17 cases of sexual harassment were registered following complaints lodged by victims in the wake of the release of the Justice Hema Committee report, reported NDTV.
On Tuesday, the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA) was dissolved after a 235-page report by the Justice Hema committee was released in it's redacted form last week. The association said the decision was made “in light of allegations made by some actors against some of the committee".
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The report which had been filed in 2019, was not available for public release until now, unleashing a flood of allegations against some of the drivers of the Malayalam film industry. Several film stars and filmmakers are likely to be questioned in connection with these cases.
The latest complaint has been registered by actress Sonia Malhar, who alleged that an unnamed actor molested her in 2013 on a film set, reported NDTV. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed by the Kerala government in the wake of multiple allegations, is looking into her case among others.
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Malhar has also asked people to not speculate and include Jayasurya into her allegations.
Actress Minu Muneer who had alleged harassment on film sets at the hands of M Mukesh, Jayasurya , Maniyanpilla Raju and Idavela Babu has also spoken up about receiving threats after going public with her experience.
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Minu Muneer told NDTV that AMMA secretary Idavela Babu had called her to his flat under the pretense of helping her get an AMMA membership and proceeded to physically abuse her.
Recounting a traumatising experience on set she said, “I had a bitter experience while shooting for a film. I had gone to the toilet and when I came out, Jayasurya hugged me from behind and kissed me without my consent. I was shocked and I ran out.”
She alleged that he had offered her work if she was willing to be with him. Muneer said that in a similar experience, actor Mukesh, now a CPM MLA as well, had denied her AMMA membership after she rejected his untoward advances.
“There is a lot of exploitation in the Malayalam film industry. I am a witness and victim. When I moved to Chennai, nobody reached out to me, asking me what had happened?” she added.
The actor in question, Mukesh, has welcomed a thorough investigation into the charges levelled against him, claiming that Muneer had been trying to blackmail him and had sought financial aid from him.
Bengali film actor Sreelekha Mitra has also accused director Ranjith of molestation, telling NDTV that the harassment of women in the industry was an open secret.
"The system is such that you have to comply or let go. Everyone knows about it. It's not something new. In this industry, it is rampant. The problem is it has been normalised," she said.
The Hema committee report revealed a "power nexus" in the industry that consisted of a handful of producers, directors, actors and production controllers.
The committee was originally constituted in 2017 by the Kerala government after a sexual assault case came to light involving actor Dileep and another actress.
The state's women's commission has stated that based on suggestions in the committee report, the government will take steps to ensure grievance redressal committees as per the POSH Act in shooting sets.