Malayalam actor Dileep's next movie, Bha Bha Ba (short for Bhayam Bhakthi Bahumanam), trailer has recently been released following his acquittal in the 2017 actress assault case.
Mohanlal also makes a brief appearance in the movie, which is scheduled for release on December 18. However, actor and dubbing artist Bhagyalakshmi criticised Mohanlal for his appearance in the film.
Speaking to the media during the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK), Bhagyalakshmi participated in a session titled Patriarchy in Indian Cinema: Power, Gender, Politics. During the session, she discussed how the survivor in the 2017 assault case was initially left to fight the battle alone and received little to no support from the Malayalam film industry.
She then addressed the media, accusing Mohanlal of being "thoughtless" and "insensitive" for disseminating Bha Bha Ba's poster and marketing materials.
Bhagyalakshmi questioned, “Did Mohanlal even pause for a moment before sharing that poster right after the verdict? We heard him repeatedly say, I pray for her (the survivor). When someone with that kind of influence does this, what message is being sent to survivors?” She added, “This is not about cinema alone anymore. This is about ethics. It is about what we choose to endorse publicly.”
Bhagyalakshmi also called out Dileep’s conduct after his acquittal during the event. She said, “He appeared jubilant, addressing the media and attacking his former wife, Manju Warrier, who had supported the investigation.”
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Additionally, she asserted that if the survivor had not come forward with her story at that time, Manju would have suffered. Additionally, according to the actor, the survivor endured more "humiliation" in the courtroom than she did during the assault and persevered.
This follows the actor's resignation from the Film Employees' Kerala Association (FEFKA) due to the "double standards" being displayed and the organisation's decision to welcome Dileep back following the verdict.
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