Malayalam actor Innocent talks about ‘casting couch’, says some ‘bad women’ responsible

Popular Malayalam actor-comedian Innocent created a furore when he made a derogatory comment on women in the industry.

Actor and Lok Sabha member Innocent on Wednesday said the Malayalam film industry is “clean” of the casting couch. But a distasteful remark made by him regarding “bad women” created a furore among the newly floated Women’s Collective in Cinema (WCC).

Innocent Vareed Thekkethala, popularly known as Innocent, is one of the most successful comic actors in Malayalam cinema.

Innocent spoke about it while answering a question at a press conference held here on Wednesday to deny media reports that he is quitting as president of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA).

“The Malayalam film industry is clean now and no such thing as casting couch exists in the industry... It is not like the yesteryear. The situation today is such that if there is any bad behaviour towards any women, the media will know immediately,” he said, adding: “But if the woman is bad, maybe they will go to bed.”

Following this remark, the WCC slammed it through their Facebook page.

“Even though we thank Innocent for the nice words he spoke about WCC, we are forced to strongly disagree with his remark that casting couches no longer exist here.

“Very recently only, our own members Parvathy and Lakshmi Rai have all spoken loudly on this topic. We want the newly appointed Justice Hema Commission to study the issues of women in the film industry to look into this aspect also,” read the post.

WCC was formed in June by the women working in the various departments of the Malayalam film industry. It is led by actor Manju Warrier.

Bindu Krishna, state president of the Mahila Congress -- the women’s wing of the Congress party -- said Innocent’s statement is a shame and an insult to Kerala.

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