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ALLEGATIONS OF sexual misconduct that have gripped the Malayalam film industry continued to spiral on Monday, with more actors as well as senior members of the Association of Malayalam Movies Artistes (AMMA) being named as accused, and Kerala Police filing its first case in this connection. On Sunday, director and Kerala State Chalachitra Academy chairman Ranjith and actors’ association general secretary Siddique had stepped down from their respective positions over the allegations. On Monday, the police registered a non-bailable case against Ranjith based on the complaint of a woman actor who accused him of sexual misconduct. Ranjith has said the allegation was an outcome of a “concerted move” against him after he became chairman of the Academy. In the wake of the release of the Justice Hema Committee report , which had exposed rampant sexual abuse and exploitation of women in the Malayalam film industry, Bengali actor Sreelekha Mitra had told the media last week that Ranjith had allegedly misbehaved with her in 2009, during the pre-production phase of the film ‘Paleri Manikyam’. She filed a complaint with Kochi city police, which registered a case under IPC Section 354, which deals with criminal force or assault against a woman with the intention to outrage her modesty. The case will be handed over to the Special Investigation Team set up by the Kerala government to look into the allegations being raised in the aftermath of the Hema Committee report’s release. Siddique, general secretary of AMMA, meanwhile filed a police complaint in which he denied the allegations against him and said it was part of a “criminal conspiracy”. He has been accused of raping a woman actor in 2016. “The reputation of the entire Malayalam film industry is being deliberately tarnished by a group of persons and it is essential that the persons behind this criminal conspiracy are brought to light. I request you to take effective action in this matter to bring out the truth, and reveal the perpetrators behind the criminal conspiracy to fabricate and publish false and scandalous allegations through (the woman),” he wrote to the DGP. Speaking to reporters on Monday, actor Minu Muneer alleged that she had faced sexual misconduct from many actors. She named Mukesh, a former two-time CPI(M) MLA; Edavela Babu, a prominent leader of the AMMA; and actors Maniyanpilla Raju and Jayasurya. While Mukesh, Jayasurya, and Babu did not respond to Muneer’s claims, Raju said he welcomes a probe into the allegations. “I will file a complaint with the state police team, which was assigned to look into the revelations which came up in the wake of the Hema Committee report,” Muneer said. She alleged that an actor tried to assault her at a hotel during the shooting of ‘Calender’ (2009) and ‘Nadakame Ulakam’ (2011). “He entered the room and pulled me on the bed saying that I will have to consider those who have to be considered for getting better chances. Later, I left that place… Before that, while travelling by a car, (another actor) told me that he would come to my room the next night. He too had knocked on my door at night,” she claimed. She also accused a third actor of misconduct in 2008. “During a shooting in the state capital, when I was returning from a restroom, (this actor) caught me from behind and kissed me. I pushed him down and ran away. He also invited me to his flat. After I rejected the invitation, there was no issue from his side,’’ she claimed. Muneer also claimed that in 2013, she had applied for membership of AMMA. “A person who acted in three films is eligible for membership in AMMA. When I called him (an actor) over the phone regarding filling the application form, he invited me to his flat. While I was filling up the application form at his flat, he kissed my neck from behind. I ran out of the flat. I did not get the membership either,’’ she said. The actor said that all this forced her to leave the Malayalam film industry and relocate to Chennai. “I am now seeking justice and accountability for the sufferings and trauma I endured,’’ she said. Another young woman actor accused actor-producer Baburaj of sexually assaulting her in 2019. Baburaj, the joint general secretary of AMMA , denied the allegation and said he would “initiate legal action”. “He (Baburaj) offered me a role in an upcoming movie and asked me to come to his house at Aluva (Ernakulam district), saying that the film’s production controller and other technicians were there… When I reached his house, there was nobody.” She claimed the producer told her that the others were expected soon and that “until then I can rest”. “He gave me a room. Later, he invited me for food. When I opened the door, he entered the room and locked it from inside. He started talking in a vulgar manner and led me to the cot and sexually assaulted me,” she alleged. The actor said she was willing to talk to the police. “At any workplace, women should not face this experience. I had informed the police then, but could not file a complaint as they had requested. If Baburaj is challenging me, I’m ready to present the entire episode before the media in his presence. I have no other intention, since I have left the industry and am living with family outside Kerala,’’ she claimed. Baburaj alleged that there was a conspiracy behind the allegation against him. “The complainant should come in public. I think she had worked in my resort. The motive is to prevent me from becoming the general secretary of AMMA. She has no links with films. People who have a grudge towards me are behind this allegation. I will expose the conspiracy behind this,” he claimed. Click here to join The Indian Express on WhatsApp and get latest news and updates None
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