On Sunday morning came the news of two big resignations in the Malayalam film industry. Actor Siddique quit as the general secretary of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes (AMMA) following allegations of sexual assault levelled by actress Revathy Sampath. And veteran director Ranjith quit as head of Kerala Chalachitra Academy, days after being accused of ‘misbehaviour’ by veteran and popular Bengali actor Sreelekha Mitra.
Mitra told the local media, Asianet News, on Friday that the incident happened during the production of the Mammootty-starrer Paleri Manikyam: Oru Pathirakolapathakathinte Katha (2009). She alleged that Ranjith called her to an apartment, and called her into a dark bedroom. While she spoke to the cinematographer on the phone, Ranjith played with her bangles and touched her neck and hair. She left that moment. That put an end to her hopes of working in the Malayalam film industry.
Documentary filmmaker Joshy Joseph told Onmanorama that Mitra, quite a known name back then, who accused Ranjith of misbehaviour, had wanted to be a part of more Malayalam movies, but she dropped her plans because of the filmmaker making her uncomfortable. “Her collaboration would have added creative value to Malayalam cinema,” he said to local media, adding that unlike Ranjith’s current claims of having met Sreelekha only for an audition, he was keen on casting her. Joseph, who was then head of Films Division Eastern Region, was contacted by Ranjith’s associate Shankar Ramakrishnan for the said purpose. Joseph also revealed that Mitra had told him about the incident soon after.
Sreelekha Mitra's film, Once Upon A Time in Calcutta, directed by National Award-winning Aditya Vikram Sengupta, represented India at the 2021 Venice Film Festival.
The board indicating the chairman’s official information was removed from Ranjith’s vehicle in Wayanad on Saturday night as the state government mounted pressure on him to resign, the local media reported. Joshy criticised Cultural Affairs Minister Saji Cherian for his stance on the issue though. Cherian said, action will be taken if the allegation is proved.
Siddique confirmed to The Hindu that he’s submitted his resignation to actor Mohanlal, the President of AMMA in light of the allegations. Sampath, who has been speaking to the media since 2019 about this sexual harassment incident, spoke to the media on Saturday giving details of the act. She alleged Siddique raped her after calling her to Thiruvananthapuram for the audition of a “non-existent movie”. “Siddique got in touch with me through a social media platform and offered me a role in a Tamil movie in which his son would also be acting. I did not doubt his intentions because he always used to call me daughter. After about a year, I came to Thiruvananthapuram to take forward the offer. It was a trap. Such a movie did not exist. He sexually assaulted me for an hour in a hotel room. He hit and kicked me when I resisted. He is a criminal. Some of my friends too had similar experiences from him. I had to give up my dreams and go through a lot of mental health issues. This should happen to no one again,” she said, The Hindu reported.
Siddique’s resignation comes two days after he spoke to the media to give AMMA’s first official response to the Hema Committee report. He denied the existence of any ‘power group’ as stated in the report and said the organisation didn’t receive any complaints about casting couch. “None can be sidelined in cinema merely for lodging a complaint. There has been no denial of opportunities to Women in Cinema Collective (WCC) members. Casting is done based on the actor best fit for a role,” he said.
Malayalam women film professionals, including actor Parvathy Thiruvothu, had said how they were not getting any work because of their association with the WCC. Parvathy, one of the most vocal WCC member, was recently seen sharing screen, in a film, with one veteran actor who was called out in the #MeToo movement and who had apologised. These compromises women actors have to make so as to do good films, as few good scripts come their way. Parvathy recently also said in an interview that she isn’t happy with the Hema Committee report, “the sense of achievement is extremely bitter-sweet for us,” she said.
It is, however, a direct impact of the release of the long-awaited Justice K Hema Committee report which revealed the rampant sexual abuse in the Malayalam film industry, that we are seeing women film professionals speak out fearlessly. And yet, there are many others who would rather not, despite raising their voice but getting no resolution.
A young former Malayalam actress, on conditions of anonymity, told Moneycontrol, “I didn’t leave [the film industry]. Not getting offers made me do other jobs for my survival.”
“Speaking up comes with a price. As a newcomer in the industry, I initially received opportunities with ease. But when I started voicing my rights and sharing my experiences, I was met with discomfort and backlash. It seems that those in power prefer to maintain the status quo, and any dissenting voices are silenced. The lack of accountability is disappointing, and it’s clear that for them, it’s just a usual thing happening around,” she says.
On being questioned about how triggering it was to see her abuser on screen, she adds, “The same individual who made my journey difficult is now thriving, even receiving recognitions and is appearing in numerous films, too. It’s a stark reminder that success and talent can sometimes be separated from personal integrity and accountability.”
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