Mohanlal resigns as AMMA President, all members of the committee quit

Malayalam superstar Mohanlal has resigned from the post of Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA) President. According to reports, all the members of the AMMA have tendered their resignation together and the body is now dissolved.

The latest move comes a day after many past cases of sexual assault came to light. The entire Malayalam industry has come under the radar after the release of Justice K Hema Committee report.

The 233-page report, perhaps the first such for any film industry in India, details the power nexus in the Malayalam cinema industry and lays bare the multiple levels of exploitation faced by women in it.

In the aftermath of an assault case on an actress involving actor Dileep in 2017, the Kerala government appointed a panel to study issues of sexual harassment and gender inequality.

Two high profile resignations have already come out after the reports became public.

Earlier, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had also said that the state government was seriously considering the various recommendations, including setting up of a tribunal and framing a comprehensive Cinema Law, given by the Justice Hema Committee.

Vijayan also said that the action recommended by the committee against the various crimes against women in the film industry was already being looked into by the agencies responsible for ensuring law and order in the state.

A case was charged against well-known filmmaker Ranjith, and several female actors stepped forward with disturbing accounts of the mistreatment they faced at the hands of their various male counterparts.

The case was charged against Ranjith after a Bengali actress filed a complaint on Monday (August 26) with the Kochi City Police Commissioner.

The complaint, sent via email, alleged that Ranjith had touched her inappropriately with sexual intent after inviting her to act in the movie Paleri Manikyam in 2009.

Kochi Police Commissioner S Syamsundar said a case under IPC Section 354 (assault or criminal force on woman with intent to outrage her modesty) has been registered against Ranjith.

Another actress, Minu Muneer, who has appeared in a handful of movies, levelled sexual abuse allegations against prominent actors M Mukesh, who is also an MLA, Jayasurya and Maniyanpilla Raju, as well as small-time actor Idavela Babu who has a prominent role in the actors' association.

A more well-known actress from the 1990s also came forward on Monday with allegations of misconduct from years ago against a noted filmmaker. She has expressed willingness to provide a statement to the police.

The filmmaker has denied the charges.

In a Facebook post, Minu Muneer said, "I am writing to report a series of incidents of physical and verbal abuse I suffered at the hands of 1 Mukesh 2 Maniyan Pilla Raju, 3 Idavela Babu, 4 Jayasoorya (Jayasurya), 5 adv Chandrasekaran, 6 production controller Noble and Vichu, in the Malayalam film industry." "In 2013, I was subjected to physical and verbal abuse by these individuals while working on a project. I tried to cooperate and continue working, but the abuse became unbearable," the actress, who signed as Minu Kurian in her Facebook post, alleged.

With the exception of Maniyanpilla Raju, none of the actors have reacted.

On the same day, a junior artist accused actor Baburaj, known for villain roles, of sexual assault.

Rejecting the allegations, Baburaj, an office bearer in the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (A.M.M.A), claimed it was an attempt by vested interests in the film industry to prevent him from becoming A.M.M.A general secretary, replacing Siddique, who resigned on Sunday amid similar charges.

Meanwhile, the serious and elaborate revelations of sexual harassment charges against two-time CPI(M) legislator M Mukesh brought embarrassment to the state government.

Though the opposition parties have accused the Left government of protecting the predators, its leaders put up a defence, saying a special investigation team has been formed to probe the allegations.

Yet, the continuing charges against Mukesh, who represents Kollam constituency in the assembly, have put the CPI (M)-led government under pressure.

A harassment allegation levelled by a woman against Mukesh years ago also resurfaced on Sunday.

Opposition leader V D Satheesan said he expects that, like Ranjith and Siddique, Mukesh will also step down.

What is Justice K. Hema Committee all about?
The Justice K. Hema Committee was established by the Kerala state government to investigate and address issues faced by women in the Malayalam film industry, also known as Mollywood. The committee, led by retired Justice K. Hema, was created in response to growing concerns about sexual harassment and gender inequality in the industry, particularly following a high-profile case involving the assault of an actress.

The committee’s report, released on August 19, 2024, highlighted significant problems within the industry.

(With PTI Inputs)