Sexual harassment in the Malayalam film industry
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2017: What the Dileep case exposed
Pimps, bouncers, criminals call the shots
Showbiz In Shark Tank : Pimps to bouncers, criminals call the shots in Malayalam cinema | Friday 14 July 2017 | Manorama Online (Reported by Unni K Warrier, Renji Kuriakose, R Krishna Raj and Joji Simon; Compiled by Tony Jose)
Unlike their counterparts in other states, movie stars in Kerala never felt insecure among fans to hire an army of bodyguards. Actors could go out and about without being mobbed.
Yet brawny men made their way into the shooting locations as bodyguards and bouncers and the gates were thrown open to thugs who offered their muscle power to anyone who cared.
The nexus paid too costly for the actors and technicians who employed them to execute their nefarious plans. The criminals knew how to script the industry’s course.
Scene No. 1 – Honeytrap
One of the earliest entry points of criminals into the showbiz in Kerala was seen in the 1990s, when an actor paid the price for a carnal misadventure. The episode started in a Gulf country, where a troupe of entertainers had gone for a stage show.
The actor was enamored by a girl and his aides made sure that he got what he wanted - with a bit of push from a criminal gang. Back in Kerala, the euphoria gave way to panic when the actor received a phone call from arguably the first female goon in the state.
She warned the actor that his “victim” was on the verge of suicide. She also told him that his act had been videotaped. The blackmail worked. The Gulf trip cost the actor a few lakh rupees.
The incident was a portend. Stars could find enough people to get them anything they want but it was impossible to know who mingled with them. Many of the actors played along. They relied on muscle power to have their way in the industry.
Blackmailing has grown to be a sub sector within the cinema industry but most of the victims keep it to themselves for fear of humiliation.
Scene No. 2 - Bouncer act
Remember the scene from Mohanlal-starrer ‘Chota Mumbai’, where Shakeela is guarded by a ring of bouncers? This is a real-life scene for the residents of Fort Kochi and Mattancherry.
Movie production managers hire bouncers to ward off excited fans and trouble makers. The only qualification for the job is a beefed-up body. Oh yes, a bit of reputation on the wrong side is a must.
The reliance on thugs is prevalent in Alappuzha too. They can ensure smooth shooting even on a hartal day.
The smartest among the musclemen quickly establish connections within the industry and make them indispensable for the rich and famous. They become the favorites of actors who want to show rivals their place or to expand shady businesses.
One of those bodyguards in Ernakulam is on the radar of the police. A leading actor hired him even though he has been accused in a handful of cases.
The preponderance of bouncers was evident at a recent meeting of actors in a hotel. The venue was out of bounds for any crazed fan yet there were as many bodyguards as the actors who went to the hotel.
Hiring a bodyguard is an actor’s prerogative. However, most of the bodyguards act as a link between their employers and the waiting tentacles of the underworld.
Scene No. 3 - Unhealthy partners
If you want to spot a star, there are three sure-shot destinations to frequent - health clubs, beauty parlors and boutiques. Actors want to stay shipshape and fashionable because that is part of their job.
Predictably, these places are frequented by starlets as well as criminals who want to establish connection with potential employers.
Main accused in the case Sunil Kumar, aka Pulsar Suni, knew the route too well. Before he drove his criminal career against a wall with the dastardly attack on an actress, he was a constant presence in the celebrity circles.
He kept his contacts alive by being in constant touch with a boutique owner in Kochi. The woman who owns the boutique has told the police that she had borrowed heavily from Suni.
The man with a history of kidnapping actresses found it useful to be close to a boutique frequented by potential victims.
The numerous health clubs in Kochi provide another meeting point for criminals and celebrities. Many of the actors pick their bodyguards from these fitness centers. Even straightforward actors fall for musclemen with dubious track records.
One of them is a goon from Paravoor who has nicknamed himself after legendary boxer Mike Tyson. His rise from a street fighter to a celebrity bouncer was phenomenal. He even played the part of a bouncer in a gangsta movie.
His role in the city’s underbelly came to fore when gangster Imtiyaz fell to a rival gang. ‘Tyson’ was among those who turned up to receive the body of their leader. The actor eventually got wind of his bodyguard’s activities and dropped him off the payroll.
Scene No. 4 - On the fast lane
Some of the drivers attached with film production units are hardcore criminals like Suni. All they need is to get someone to recommend them for the job. They soon advertise themselves as the go-to persons for anything from hired guns to drug peddlers.
Suni was a driver for a producer in Kochi. He made a name for himself as a loyal aide, until he grew ambitious and showed his true colors.
Suni had an assignment to pick actress Menaka from Ernakulam Junction (South) railway station. He had other ideas though.
Menaka was suspicious when a van arrived at the station to pick her. She called up her husband Suresh Kumar before boarding the van. The van was driven by Suni’s accomplice. He drove on the opposite direction of the hotel where the actress was supposed to be taken. Menaka protested and called up her husband again but the driver just drove towards the bypass.
Suresh Kumar called up the producer, who rushed to locate the mysterious van. The driver of the van spotted the producer, realized that the plan had gone awry and drove the van to a nearby hotel, where the actress was dropped off. She had just escaped a kidnapping attempt.
The producer later learned that his driver was the brain behind the mischief and the actual target was a younger actress.
The same gang had attacked and blackmailed another actress before that. They also tried to kidnap two other actresses. Had the police pursued those cases, Suni and company wouldn’t have been able to target their latest prey.
Scene No. 5 - Birds of the same feather
Criminals have an uncanny talent to get them entrenched in the movie industry. Some of them even share the limelight.
One of them played a minor but funny role in a recent hit movie. Few of the audience knew that the young rider intercepted by the police had already been taken into custody even before the movie’s release.
Ajith Kandangakkulam aka ‘Thavala’ Ajith had snatched chains from 56 women when he was nabbed by the police. About 100 sovereigns of gold was seized by the police from the six-man gang.
One of his accomplices would also go on to hit the headlines. Vishnu was Suni’s messenger after he was released from the Kakkanad sub jail.
Ajith, Vishnu and friends led a life of luxury with the loot. They went pub-hopping in Mumbai and Goa. There was a time when they shelled out Rs 10 lakh in Goa. They also spent on expensive bikes. With all the shady activities, Ajith had the gall to act in a movie.
Deceit
(Reported by Unni K Warrier, Renji Kuriakose, R Krishna Raj and Joji Simon; Compiled by Tony Jose)
The history of Malayalam cinema can be divided into two, a director said as news poured out that actor Dileep has been arrested in connection with the shocking attack on an actress. “Cinema before Dileep’s arrest and after it.”
Vinayan's comments were echoed by many of the insiders. They say that the tragic events were waiting to happen in an industry that has come to be dominated by criminal elements.
'Cruel joker'
Alleppey Ashraf, producer
When Dileep was taken to the Aluva sub jail, I was reminded of his role in sending a producer-distributor to the same jail 15 years ago.
Dinesh Panicker, who distributed Dileep’s Udayapuram Sultan</i>, was sent to jail after a check was dishonored. By the time the movie was completed, the producers had run out of money. They had to give Dileep Rs 1.5 lakh more as remuneration. Dileep insisted that they pay up before he dubbed for the movie.
Panicker offered to give Dileep a check as a guarantee even though, as distributor, he did not have to. The movie was released and it flopped.
Meanwhile, Dileep called up Panicker to say that he was going to present the check. Panicker told Dileep that he already owed Rs 25 lakh and pleaded with him not to present the check. Dileep did not budge. The check bounced.
After one and a half years, Panicker was visited by a police party and three advocates from Aluva. Panicker knew why they had come on a Friday. The next day was a second Saturday, when courts were closed. The police offered Panikker to let him go if he could pacify Dileep. Many of the producers called up Dileep on behalf of Panicker. Dileep would only tell them to let the advocates do their job.
Panicker was taken from Thiruvananthapuram to Paravoor. He was produced before a magistrate around 1 am. He collapsed in front of the magistrate. The magistrate ordered the police to admit the detainee into a hospital.
The producers hit back by calling for a boycott of Dileep for two years. Fellow actor Innocent tried to mediate on behalf of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes (AMMA). Dileep apparently swore by God that he had done nothing to get Panicker arrested. He eventually withdrew his complaint and the producers lifted the boycott.
I felt that Dileep was a cruel joker. I have made three movies with Prem Nazir in the lead. If any of his movies flopped, he would be the first person to call up the producer. He had more than consoling words to offer. He would offer to act in the next movie to bail out the producer and the director
The recent developments show us how the Malayalam cinema field has changed.
'Power centre’
Tulasi Das, director
I had already cast Dileep in Mayaponman and Dosth when I approached him again to work with Kuttanad Expressil
Liberty Basheer had already committed to produce the movie but Dileep did not want to work with him. He suggested several names before zeroing in on a producer from Mumbai. I accompanied him to Mumbai. I even convinced the producer to pay Dileep Rs 40 lakh when he said he wanted that money urgently for his real estate business. He was to cut the amount from the remuneration.
Dileep changed the lead actress first. He also wanted the cameraman and the music composer to go. I refused. Dileep was cross with me. He went on a secret mission to Mumbai and lobbied the producer to get me out of the project. I was completely out of the loop. I came to know of it from a cinema publication. I pursued the case for six months but nothing happened. Dileep reached an agreement with the producer, who wanted the money back anyways.
I called up Dileep several times but he would not take my call. When I visited him at a shooting location in Kochi, he placed his leg on the chair in front of him. I was made to stand in front of him throughout. I was pained. My woes only aggravated after I complained against him in various trade bodies. Dileep saw to it that several actors refused to work with me. At least two movies had to be dropped because the producers backtracked.
Dileep’s henchmen would call up me and my family members to intimidate us. When I went to narrate a storyline to a superstar, he asked me if I wanted to file a complaint against him. Many of them refused even to meet me.
The greatest letdown was from an actress who made her debut in one of my movies. She did not even invite me to her wedding fearing Dileep’s wrath.
'Undesirable trendsetter'
Rajasenan, director
We had a decent work culture where even big stars such as Mammootty, Mohanlal, Suresh Gopi and Jayaram were prompt in coming to work once they offered their dates. Dileep was among the first actors who wanted a say in everything whether it was the choice of co-actors or light boys.
I have worked with Dileep in two movies. I was planning to make a movie based on Aithihyamala Dileep gave me his date after a Bengaluru-based producer agreed to invest. The project cost estimate was Rs 10 crore.
When I picked J. Pallassery as script writer, Dileep wanted it to be collaboration between two writers. We paid in advance to Dileep and the script writers. All of them started evading me after that. I soon realized that they wanted me out of the project as well.
Dileep went to Bengaluru to meet the producer and I was out of the project. Many of the undesirable trends in Malayalam cinema started with Dileep.
‘The avenger'
Vinayan, director
I had originally cast Dileep for Oomappenninu Uriyadappayyan . But I had to drop him when he pressured to change the script writer.
I had never bothered to talk against him in any televised debates about the attack on the actress. Dileep had called me up to thank me for that. He had hurt me a lot but I never thought he could do something like this. I was wrong. Dileep's revenge is of elephantine proportions.
Dileep led the formation of the FEFKA overnight to get even with me. He got many directors to resign from the MACTA in a single night. He also saw to it that two people backtracked after offering to buy satellite rights to my movies.
Malayalam cinema could be divided into before the arrest of Dileep and after it.
Avatar
Actors may be on-screen darlings but they seldom rise to their persona. A businessman had a taste of celebrity wrath when he signed up the actor’s former wife for an ad campaign. The actor called up the businessman and wanted him to drop the campaign. The businessman stood his ground.
The actor called up again, this time in a changed tone. The businessman was showered with a hail of abuses and threats. The businessman was witnessing another avatar of the actor, who was also a family friend.
Substance abuse
(Reported by Unni K Warrier, Renji Kuriakose, R Krishna Raj and Joji Simon; Compiled by Tony Jose)
Malayalam cinema has a new villain to deal with - substance abuse in the name of creativity. A drug mafia thrives beside the movie industry in Kerala as celebrities smoke up to their heart’s content. Production unit drivers to bouncers, everyone cashes in on the demand for ganja and other narcotics.
The small-time carriers netted by police and excise officers have revealed that actors make great customers. They are always wanting and they pay like hell. There are other perks of being close to celebrities. Cops who trapped a carrier in Kochi were flummoxed by a call from a celebrity, who pleaded the police to let go of the supplier. The stuff was intended to enhance his acting it seems.
The celebrity circles have their dedicated channels to source ganja and narcotics. A native of Ernakulam has assumed the role of a wholesale supplier ever since he married the daughter of a don in Goa. In Kochi, he was protected by a superintendent of police. The officer has since retired but he is still close to the drug carrier.
The supplier caters mainly to the people in the movie circles. A producer is key to the trade. The businessman is only happy to let the dealers use his hotel premises. The police had zeroed in on the producer a couple of times but he proved too big to be nabbed.
Goa remains movie makers’ favorite destination for good reason. When the police step up the heat on drug peddlers, the entire production unit is shifted to Goa to ensure a steady supply of drugs.
This illicit affairs provide a fertile ground for criminals such as Sunil Kumar aka ‘Pulsar’ Suni, who is accused of torturing an actress on a highway near Angamaly in February. The police have reasons to believe that Suni had worked in Goa as a link between the drug lords and their celebrity customers in Kerala.
Drivers like Suni become closer to the actors by being around for any shady business. They are often admitted to the closed-door parties where alcohol and other intoxicating substances flow freely. The drivers gradually gains more control over the celebrities because they have witnessed a lot of unguarded moments.
Caravan of intoxication
Caravans parked around movie sets often turn dens of smoke. The motor homes are brought in by the producer for the actors to freshen up and change costumes.
A producer was faced with a strange complaint. Whenever a new-gen actor left the caravan after a few minutes in it, the room would be filled with ganja smoke. The producer checked and found the complaint of the co-actors to be true.
Actors are assured of a steady supply anywhere anytime.
When an actor and an actress from Mumbai came to a location in Kerala, their first demand was for ganja. The production controller said a firm no. He said he did not want to go to jail.
Two days later, the production controller was shocked to see the couple locked in an oblivious embrace on the corridor of the hotel. They had found what they wanted. The drug dealers could get past the production controller to reach their customers.
The new-gen movie makers prefer to discuss stories and do all post-production work in Kochi’s apartments. They give the hotels and studios a miss because places of residence offers them a safe corner to indulge in intoxication. Such a binge wasted a screen writer so much that he tried to molest a neighbor in the elevator. The other residents in the apartment rushed in to save the woman. The script writer has been sentenced to imprisonment for five years.
Everyone knows that actors are heavily into drug abuse. Yet only one case has been registered so far. Shine Tom Chacko was unlucky to have been caught with drugs from a flat in Kochi. Chacko’s companion got access to the flat from a contact she made during a night party in Kochi. The contact himself is a murder accused.
Substance abuse have derailed projects. A producer was ruined by a group of youngsters who were supposed to make a movie for him. The producer has spent Rs 3 crore on the project which features a young star.
The director and 12 assistants were youngsters too. The director, the cameraman and the 12 assistants were more into smoking than shooting. The shooting eventually stalled. The producer has been waiting for a year for someone to finish the remaining work on the project.
He had already spent a fortune on 60 days of shooting in Wayanad and Kochi. The sets have ruined. He will have to build it all over again to shoot the climax.
Substance abuse has become a trend. “You have to go along if you want to be in the business. Friendship is all important,” a young actor said.
Star power
As soon as actor Dileep was summoned to the Aluva police club, some of his colleagues rushed to a senior actor. They said Dileep was innocent and pleaded with the star to intervene on his behalf.
The star made some calls to Thiruvananthapuram and Dileep was spared for a few days at least. An actors’ lobby based in central Kerala had been trying to ward off an arrest. This lobby can influence in a lot of areas including government employees’ transfer to government policies.
The central Kerala lobby has become more powerful than the Thiruvananthapuram lobby it seems.
People in the showbiz often venture to other businesses. When real estate and other deals become shady, they seek patronage from political leaders. Their move is tactical. Involve politicians and policemen in their deals and be safe.
Some policemen are all too excited about the company of actors, as proved by a photograph circulated on social media a year ago.
A group of youngsters were waiting near Munnar to take a picture of an elephant when a police jeep entered the scene. The police officer was accompanied by a movie star. The actor was on a high. He even posed for a photo along with the young men.
The star had bought a piece of land in the hills. He had a standing dispute with his neighbor. The actor tried to intimidate the neighbor, who responded by filing a police complaint. The actor just wanted to show off his connections to anyone who thought of lodging another complaint.
A former on-screen baddie runs a great many quarries across Kerala in partnership with a top IPS officer. The duo even has a tourist resort in Thailand.
Blinded by glitz
The glamorous world of cinema is too tempting to resist for at least some of the police, excise and motor vehicle inspectors.
Dozens of officers, ranging from an ADGP to civil police officers, are awaiting government sanction to act in movies. Many officers are content by appearing as a guest in movies. Some superintendents of police and inspectors are familiar faces in movies.
They pay back for the moment of fame by offering some benefits to the movie makers and actors. Several stars are given a ride in a police car from the Kochi airport to the city so that they don’t languish in the traffic snarls.
Movie makers are forever in demand in the power circles. A leading director who was shooting in a jail was given a warm reception by a jail honcho. He was given whatever he wanted.
The officer even took him job to a sumptuous feast. As the director sat wondering what had he done to deserve such hospitality, the officer put forward his demand. His wife had an excellent story. You could make it into a movie!
Plagiarism, black magic, tantrics
(Reported by Unni K Warrier, Renji Kuriakose, R Krishna Raj and Joji Simon; Compiled by Tony Jose)
By definition, superstars are difficult to work with. They want the story and script changed to fit their persona. They want to fill the crew with their cronies and send home anyone who has rubbed them the wrong way.
Yet they stand by their commitments. They read a script, or get someone to read it out to them, and let the director and script writer know of his decision at the earliest.
A star rise in the 1990s changed the practice in Malayalam cinema. The actor wouldn’t listen to a story line. He would not spare a minute unless he is approached with a full script. That would keep the script writer busy for at least six more months. Another six months would go waste before the star finally lends his ears to the script.
Then the script would go to his coterie of relatives and close friends, who would recommend modifications to the script. The process would take years yet the project would be a non-starter.
The fresher, however, could take heart from the star’s releases in the meantime. Most of the imaginative situations and interesting jokes in his yet-to-be-approved script would have made their way into the movies! People in the industry would already be familiar with the script.
Then the masterstroke comes. The star would pose an innocent question to the script writer: “Why don’t we work on a fresh subject?”
This painful delay is a deliberate tactic to keep the screen writer occupied for a few years. The star does not want a script he rejected to be a hit elsewhere. He had been stung by such experiences. So he devised a plan to kill the work.
No wonder that the star has earned so many adversaries among the newcomers.
The cinema industry is ruled by superstitions. Some actors are known to hire dubious tantrics to bring about their rivals’ downfall.
One of the screen heroes is so finicky about his fortunes that he can’t plan anything unless an astrologer approves it. Ironically, the star has acted as a common man obsessed with zodiac predictions.
He would collect the horoscope details of everyone involved in a project, including the director and the producer, before fixing the crew. Not everyone was game to the superstition. A new-gen director-cameraman refused to work with the actor after he understood that the star was trying to analyze his zodiac sign. He gave the advance back.
The same actor once went to Haripad to employ black magic to destroy a competitor. Unfortunately, the tantric happened to be a neighbor of the target’s mother.
Small-time actors are a nervous lot when they are on the sets of a movie featuring the actor. He carefully scans through the extras in make-up to see if there is anyone who does not fit his schemes.
The extra actors could expect a day off if the star decides so. The star has a habit of blaming his flop movies on the extras who acted in them! So anyone who had the misfortune of acting with the star in a flop movie becomes persona non grata in future movies.
Artificial audience
Stars do anything to guarantee a hit and sometimes, to ensure that another stars’ movies bomb at the box office. The job is not difficult given the army of fans surrounding them.
A few years ago, a superstar movie was greeted with unprecedented booing on the first day in a theater in Kochi. The surprised theater manager found that the commotion was not so spontaneous. He immediately called up the producer of the movie.
The producer was not one who took it lying down. He pinpointed the gang who booed at the superstar at regular intervals. Faced with a fist on his face, the gang leader spilled the beans. He was a manager to another actor. He was leading a group of people to create an impression that the superstar movie was a flop.
Such backhand deals relied on the availability of a mass of dedicated people on hire. That explains the increased presence of criminals in cinema circles, personified by Sunil Kumar aka ‘Pulsar’ Suni, who is accused of assaulting an actress in an apparent attempt of blackmailing for an actor.
Veteran make-up man Pattanam Rasheed says that everyone in the industry is responsible for letting in criminal elements. “Malayalam cinema stooped to this low after stars started ruling over the movie, which is essentially a director’s creation. Even an internationally renowned director had to drop his regular make-up man to appease a star,” he said.
“This is a failure of the trade bodies and unions. The criminal (Suni) had been working as a driver in the industry for seven years. Why did no one ask for his union membership or identity card?”
The criminals viewed cinema as a fertile ground to thrive. They have made themselves integral to shooting sets.
A leading director in Malayalam found himself trapped in such a snare in Kochi. The cameras had just started rolling on his movie when a local goon descended on the location. Unable to ward off the menace, the production managers just hired him as a bouncer!
Such criminals merged their shady deals including drug peddling with showbiz. Rave parties became a part of Kochi’s cityscape.
The goons cemented their position in the industry with the emergence of various associations. Actors and technicians formed their associations. Then they split them to form new ones. The office-bearers of rival associations vied with each other to attract as many members to their fold, without bothering to check the credentials of the new entrants. The doors were officially opened for goons.
Some of them even tried to get themselves elected as leaders. Members of an association were surprised when a two-movie director was nominated to the executive council. The office-bearers simply told them that the novice director could be useful to them because of his connections in the gangs of Kochi.
Dangerous co-existence
‘Pulsar’ Suni was a regular in cinema circles even before he offered his services to Dileep. He had worked as a driver for another actor for sometime. Once, Suni was assigned to drive the actor’s fiance to Palakkad.
Midway, Suni bumped the car into another car. There was a commotion and Suni dramatically announced that the car belonged to the actor. The curious crowd poked their noses inside to see the celebrity.
The terrified woman called up her fiancee, who told Suni to settle the dispute immediately by paying whatever damage they asked for.
The actor was smart enough to realize that the accident was staged by his driver to make him pay up. He told Suni not to come to work until he asked him to. Then the driver showed his true colors. He visited his former employer in a set in Kochi with a group of menacing friends. The actor had the good sense to send him off somehow.
The criminal coexistence most often proves a liability for celebrities. Actors who rely on goons’ services would be obliged to bail them out in times of distress. They end up as accomplices in serious cases including assault and murder.
The Paper Babu murder case in Ernakulam South was one such instance. Babu was killed by goons who were linked to the cinema industry. The killers sought refuge at their leader’s den after the murder. The gang leader took them to the house of an actor. The killers fled to Tamil Nadu in the actor’s car.
The actor later died in mysterious circumstances. His affinity to the goon was an open secret. He fell out with the gangster a few months before his death because the criminal had sent overtures to a woman close to him.
Gender equations
Bengaluru: A sexual assault on a female actor in Kerala has created fissures in the film community, spawned a new group of women actors and exposed the influence exerted by top stars.
But the entire [Dileep] episode is no longer just about what happened to one woman, as writer N.S. Madhavan noted on Twitter.
The state movie actors’ association—where Dileep was an executive committee member until his ignominious firing [in July 2017]—has not come out to support the victim, prompting protests and its women members to break away and form a group called the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC). The group has vowed to end misogyny in movies as well as at the workplace. Its strong criticism of two actors who named the victim on Facebook prompted both to apologize. After the arrest, Dileep was also removed from the association of actors and technicians.
The silence of actors Mammootty and Mohanlal did not go unnoticed either. There were protests outside Mammootty’s house where the actors’ association had met. After the meeting, Mammootty announced the suspension of Dileep and said the association stands by the woman actor.
Yet, the silence of the top guns at an association press conference a fortnight ago where leading male actors like Innocent and Mukesh pitched for equal protection to the accused and the victim continues to rankle with the public. Comments by Innocent, the association’s president, denying exploitation of women in the film industry also created a furore.
It is not often that top actors in the Malayalam movie industry find themselves so powerless and at the receiving end of public anger, having to apologize for something or the other on a daily basis, said a Malayalam movie director, who did not wish to be named. Frustration has been growing, he added, especially among a younger generation of artistes about how veterans use kid gloves when it comes to sexism and crime. The anger tipped over with the abduction.
Politically, Dileep’s arrest has lifted the spirits for the government which was on the back foot after several recent cases of atrocities against women. While last year’s rape and murder of Dalit woman Jisha showed the vulnerability of the poor, the attack on the actor showed the rich and successful women weren’t safe either.
“Dileep is the kind of person who has all the right connections,” said K.J. Jacob, political analyst and executive editor of newspaper Deccan Chronicle in Kerala. “He is not only one of the biggest names in Kerala, but also hugely influential. That the police dared to arrest him, and the government allowed them to function in that way, sends out a signal for the common man, who had almost lost faith in the system,” said Jacob.
“One thing we can say with certainty right now is that the case has become a game changer in many ways,” he said.
The Justice Hema Committee report, 2019 (released: 2024)
Shaju Philip, Aug 20, 2024: The Indian Express
The Justice Hema Committee report, which looked into the problems faced by women working in the Malayalam film industry, has found that these include sexual harassment, lack of basic facilities like women’s toilets, gender bias and discrimination, disparity in remuneration, and the absence of a legally constituted authority to address their problems.
The report, which has been with the state government for the last four- and-a-half years, was released after several rounds of legal battles in court as well as at the State Information Commission.
The three-member committee, headed by retired High Court judge Justice K Hema, was formed in July 2017 in the wake of the sexual assault of a prominent actor in a moving vehicle in February that year.
The committee said incidents narrated by witnesses include those involving “highly placed men in cinema”.
“It is very painful to hear some incidents narrated by witnesses in which very highly placed men in cinema were involved. These are the people whom society looks up to with great reverence and admiration. Incident by incident, as narration progressed, many icons started crumbling. These are the people who have the influence and power to change the course of Malayalam movies. Unfortunately, these are the people contributing to the degeneration of the profession.”
The report said the experiences that women have gone through in the industry are shocking, and that many had not even disclosed these to their close family members. The committee said it was not surprised that these experiences were not disclosed earlier given the way the MalayaIm film industry runs and the consequences that women may face for speaking up.
“Surprisingly, in the course of study, we came to know that certain men had also suffered a lot of issues in the industry, and many of them, including some very prominent artistes, were banned, without authorisation, from working in cinema… They would have, knowingly or unknowingly, invited the wrath of one or other person from the powerful lobby in the industry that rules the industry,” the report said.
In reaching its conclusions, the committee relied upon oral statements of witnesses – both men and women – who appeared before it. “We have also taken into consideration various documents, audio clips, video clips, screenshots, WhathApp messages, WhatsApp chats, etc. produced by the witnesses,” the report said.
It also said that one of the reasons why women do not file police complaints over the sexual harassment faced by them in the industry was the fear of faceing online attacks.
A prominent actor told the Commission that a powerful lobby exists that can make anything happen in the industry. This “mafia” can even ban actors, producers and directors, the report said.
This also means that the constitution of an internal complaints committee (ICC) would not be a solution for all the problems faced by women in the Malayalam film industry, according to the report.
The report mentioned the ‘casting couch’, which makes the experience of getting jobs in the film industry different to other fields when it comes to women. Ability and eligibility may not be enough to get a job in the film industry, and the demand for sex is often made with offers for jobs, the report said.
The report also talked of instances where drunk men repeatedly knock or bang on the doors of the hotel rooms of women working in films. This leaves many women with no choice but to take somebody from their family when they go to work as they fear they will not be safe, the report said.
Several of those who deposed before the committee also called for an authority or body to look into the grievances of women in the industry.
The report said that if a woman is perceived as a “problem maker”, she may not get work again in the industry, and that this leads them to keep silent about many of the atrocities they face.
The Justice Hema Committee had submitted its report to the state government in December 2019. However, the Cultural Affairs Department had rejected several RTI applications for the report, saying that making it public would affect the privacy of several witnesses.
In early July this year, the State Information Commission ordered the release of the report without identifying the witnesses. However, a film producer approached court and got an interim stay on the report’s release. Last week, the Kerala High Court lifted the stay with a directive to the government to hand over the copies of the report within a week. Meanwhile, actor Ranjini had approached the court seeking to be heard before the release of the report, but the plea was rejected.
After this, the report, which was originally 295-pages long, was released after 63 pages were redacted.
A list of 17 issues faced by women in the Malayalam film industry, according to the Hema Committee report, are given below.
1. Sexual demands are made to women from the time they enter the industry
2. Sexual harassment, abuse, and assault against women take place at the work place, during transportation, and at places of accommodation
3. Women are tortured if they express resentment or unwillingness to fulfil sexual demands 4. A lack of basic facilities for women, including toilets and changing rooms at places of work
5. Women lack safety at their workplace and accommodation
6. Unauthorised and illegal banning of individuals in cinema
7. The silencing of women under the threat of banning them from working in the industry
8. Male dominance, gender bias and gender discrimination
9. The use of drugs and alcohol, disorderly conduct and misbehaviour at place of work, which lead to gross indiscipline
10. Being subject to demeaning or vulgar comments at places of work 11. The non-execution of contracts between employer and employee to suit individual requirements
12. The failure to pay the agreed remuneration
13. Disparity of remuneration between men and women, and gender discrimination in remuneration
14. Resistance/reluctance to allow women to work on the technical side cinema
15. Online harassment
16. Lack of legal awareness about their own rights
17. The absence of any legally constituted authority to redress their grievances
Reactions from the film industry
Aug 20, 2024: The Indian Express
In response to the Justice Hema Committee Report, Sophia Thilakan and director Vinayan opened up about their own bitter experiences with AMMA and FEFKA.
It will be quite the understatement to say that the Justice Hema Commitee Report has sent ripples across the Malayalam film industry. The report spoke in detail about the kind of problems faced by women in cinema, including the paucity of basic facilities on sets, economic discriminations, ostracism for standing their ground, and the casting couch. As the report gets read by more and more people, there have been voices that were previously stifled getting a platform to talk about their issues. Remember the late actor Thilakan’s long-standing beef with Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA) and Film Employees Federation of Kerala (FEFKA)? It all started when he was unceremoniously ousted from a film, and was supposedly ‘blacklisted’ from being cast in a lot of films and TV serials. Remember Vinayan’s long-standing beef with AMMA and FEFKA over their unceremonious takeover of trade unions by rejecting MACTA (Malayalam Cine Technicians Association), a trade union fronted by him. Sophia Thilakan and Vinayan were among the loudest voices expressing the importance of the Hema Committee Report, and how they have been vindicated by its content that clearly reveal that Malayalam cinema is being controlled by a 15-member power group.
“My father opened up a can of worms about AMMA. He spoke about how there is a mafia, a gundaism, and how it isn’t a welfare organisation for the actors by any means,” said Sophia, who pointed out that AMMA took immediate action against her late father, but people who have done heinous crimes continue to be part of the organisation without any repercussion. “It is this dichotomy, this discrepancy that I am questioning.” When asked to name the people who are allegedly in this power group, Sophia refused to do so, saying it isn’t the right thing to do. This was a sentiment echoed by Vinayan, who also avoided naming the members of the power group saying everyone knows the names but they can’t tell it out loud. “Even the Hema Committee Report had to redact the names, right? That is the dictatorial power of that group,” said the veteran filmmaker.
Sophia revealed that AMMA’s agenda was clearly to keep the actors in line, and shared a harrowing experience she faced from someone she looked up to growing up. “I received a message from a senior member of the industry, who wanted to apologise for everything that happened with my father, and wanted to sort out things. With subsequent messages I received, I realised that his intent was something really nefarious,” said Sophia, pointing out how tough it would be for people within the industry to deal with such men. “I can’t even discuss the kind of messages I received, and I am someone who is only remotely connected with Malayalam cinema. Imagine what would happen to someone trying to make their mark in cinema, or even established actors. There are many more unsaid stories.”
While praising the Hema Committee Report, a pragmatic Vinayan also said it might not change a lot of things on the ground. “But I am sure that the power vested in certain people to do whatever they wanted has been reduced. It is important that the power centres take cognisance of the issues ailing the industry, including security for women in cinema. Don’t act as if you are sleeping, it will only push the industry to doldrums,” said the filmmaker, who repeatedly called the power centres as a mafia group who were calling the shots.
“I am probably one of the earliest affected people under the reign of this mafia group in cinema. Honestly, back in the day, when I spoke about this power group, and how this behaviour won’t do any good for Malayalam cinema, they didn’t like it at all. That is why MACTA was attacked. Even in the report, it is mentioned that an actor, who didn’t like being answerable for his actions, destroyed the union,” said Vinayan, who listed out the various good things that happened during his tenure as the General Secretary of MACTA. “I knew I had a target on my back. They stopped MACTA’s growth. They had a meeting with the bigwigs of the industry to stop me in my tracks. This included actors who later became important politicians, and even ministers,” said Vinayan, who recalled how he held some of the biggest actors of that time responsible for their actions when they stepped out of line. “An actor I introduced did something untoward to a costume assistant, and I made him apologise to the entire unit. When a director of a Superstar film insulted Thilakan sir, I asked the filmmaker to apologise to the thespian. He still holds a grudge against me. That is the kind of organisation that AMMA destroyed.” reminisced the filmmaker.
Meanwhile, actor-politician Suresh Gopi, who is also the Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas and the Ministry of Tourism, said, “A commission was formed. They submitted their findings, and today, the report is out. Why talk about the delay unnecessarily? It has come out, right?” Adding that the various organisations will come together to heed to the government’s demands and enforcements to better the machinations of the industry, Gopi said, “Is this only happening in cinema? Isn’t it there in banking? Or any other field? But yeah, we would find a solution, and use the Hema Committee recommendations to do what is required. The required changes will happen in due course. All of us are waiting for it.”
Talking about how the maligning of the Malayalam cinema industry has deeper repercussions, the Garudan actor said, “A atmosphere is getting destroyed. Cinema is not just about the actors who are earning in crores. It is also about the various technicians earning in thousands too. There is an unorganised sector in cinema, and the production of films is their bread and butter. Cinema is a magnetic medium with many people getting attracted to it. You shouldn’t destroy that either.” However, he was quick to point out that it doesn’t mean there aren’t issues in the industry. “I am not saying nothing happened to warrant such reactions. But it is time to let the good things happen. Of course, we might face newer problems in the future, and it is important to evolve with time. I will support them in this endeavour if they ask for it.”
Meanwhile, a defiant Vinayan, who has kept silent all these years, said that if the proposed conclave to discuss the safety in Malayalam cinema, features the members of the ‘power group’ then he would resist it with all his might. “I will fight against the organisation (AMMA) even if I am the only one fighting it. There are a lot of other organisations in Malayalam cinema. All of them should give it their all to push the industry forward,” said Vinayan, asserting the need for stricter laws and reforms in place. Joining Vinayan’s clarion call, Sophia said, “Survivors should get their justice. Equality is for all.”
Further details
for all sub items
August 25, 2024: The Times of India
● The recent sexual assault of a leading actress has further reinforced the feeling that it [the Malayalam film industry] is not a dignified place to send daughters alone for work. That is why we have the unusual sight of some mothers or fathers accompanying daughters for shooting.
● The perception [about women] that many men in the film industry carry is another major reason for the low participation of women in cinema. Many witnesses stated that some men in the industry believe that women who chose to work in cinema are “available”... that such women are morally very loose.
● “Compromise” and “adjustment” are two terms that women are made familiar with as soon as they even attempt to enter the Malayalam film industry. The two terms have only one message -make yourself available for “sex on demand”.
● Now knowing how the Malayalam film industry runs and the consequences [for speaking up] that women in cinema may face, we are satisfied that women in cinema are justified in not disclosing their experiences.
The Justice Hema Committee report – which examined allegations of sexual harassment in the Malayalam film industry and the mafia-like grip a clutch of powerful men have over it – is 235 pages long. However, the four snapshots from it reproduced above paint a clear — and rather horrifying — picture of what women in Malayalam cinema have gone through over several decades.
The committee comprising Justice (retd) K Hema, actress T Sarada and former IAS officer K B Valsala Kumari – formed after a leading actress was sexually assaulted in a moving car allegedly on the instructions of a leading actor – concludes that nothing but a new industry-specific tribunal can save women workers from the industry’s entrenched “mafia”.
The committee was convinced that anything less than hard-coded law – for instance, an Internal Complaints Committee under the Prevention of Sexual Harassment at Workplace Act of India (POSH) – will be manipulated by industry men to only punish and isolate women who dare to speak up.
The committee lists ‘17 issues’ that the women face in the industry. Many of these points overlap in scope and impact and can be clubbed under seven heads:
1 Sexual demands made as quid-pro-quo for work
2 Industry ganging up against women who don’t fall in line
3 Lack of workplace safety, whether it’s a set, outdoor site, hotels for crew or transport
4 Fan clubs as troll armies
5 Culture of ban that even men find intimidating
6 Non-execution of contracts
7 Absence of any legally constituted authority to redress grievances
ENTRY CODE — YOU MUST ‘COMPROMISE’ AND ‘ADJUST’
According to the women who deposed before the committee, the harassment starts with a woman’s first contact with the industry.
If a production controller – equivalent of a producer in any other film industry – offers a role to a woman, he will make it clear in the first meeting itself that she will have to make some “compromises” and “adjust” to certain demands that would be made of her.
“Compromise” and “adjust” is code for telling an aspiring actress that people who will give her work will demand “sexual favours” and she will have to submit to their demands.
In this first meeting, the newcomer is also generally told that all top actresses have reached where they are in their careers because they made these compromises and adjustments.
The committee said it has gathered enough anecdotal evidence on how a “general impression” has been created that women who want to be a part of the Malayalam film industry are only interested in money and fame and will “surrender anything” to achieve this.
The committee recorded that there is a widely held belief in the industry that women entering the industry would “sleep with anybody for money” and not just for roles and work.
IF A WOMAN DOES NOT FALL IN LINE, ENTIRE INDUSTRY WILL GANG UP AGAINST HER
The committee recorded that it found “entirely justifiable” the women’s reluctance to speak against the abuse. Only after the women were assured of complete confidentiality did some of them agree to be interviewed.
“Women in [Malayalam] cinema are most reluctant to speak about the sexual harassment they face. They are afraid that if they divulge this information to others, they would be banned from cinema and subjected to harassment,” says the report. The report says it’s very clear that sexual abusers in the industry have a massive support system – fellow actors, producers, financers, heads of industry bodies, fan clubs – that gets activated when a woman raises her voice.Some men who deposed before the committee tried to argue that women face sexual harassment in every industry and it would be wrong to single out the Malayalam film industry. However, many women interviewed by the committee said there is a striking difference between the sexual harassment seen in the film industry and that in other fields.
MIDNIGHT KNOCKS ON DOORS IN HOTELS
Witnesses said they felt the most vulnerable when staying in hotels during outdoor shoots. It is common, they said, to have men, mostly drunk, knocking on their doors in the night.
“The knocking will not be polite... they repeatedly bang on the door. Many women said they felt that the door would collapse and men would force their way into their room. So, unless women take somebody from the family when they go for work, they fear that they will not be safe,” says the report.
The committee noted that though evidence indicated several cases of sexual abuse which constituted offences under the Indian Penal Code and also fell under the definition of “sexual harassment of women at workplace”, the victims never approached the police because they were afraid of “the serious consequences”. Being “public figures” women in cinema face a greater threat in terms of retribution for speaking up.
The 295-page report has 65 pages redacted, concealing many incidents it had recorded. One such incident is, in fact, mentioned only in part in the report. It presumably refers to a male actor misbehaving with a female co-star, who apparently called him out, but was brow-beaten into submission and had to continue working with the man against her wishes. This is how the incident is detailed in the report: “...same man and woman, as husband and wife, hugging each other. That was terrible. Because of what was done to her during the shooting, her resentment and hatred had reflected on her face. 17 retakes had to be taken for just one shot and the director criticised her for the situation.”
FAN CLUBS OR BULLY BANDS
A witness told the committee that the market value of heroes is propped up by the artificial creation of fan clubs.
It is common to have the same person running fan clubs for multiple stars. He/she can create a fan club for any star, provided enough money is paid.These fan clubs are often deployed to bully women if they raise their voice against a star or an industry favourite.
The committee noted how vicious online attacks have been launched against actresses just hours after they complained against a star. Morphed videos and pictures carrying obscene comments were uploaded and misleading stories about the star’s past conduct were circulated. What is scarier is that these fan clubs can also orchestrate physical attacks.
A CULTURE OF BAN THAT EVEN MEN FIND INTIMIDATORY
There is evidence to prove that about 10 to 15 individuals — all male, all very successful and very wealthy — control the Malayalam film industry, the report says.
This group can prevent anyone from working in the industry by imposing a “ban.” The ban will not be formal, but it will close all doors in the industry for the banned individual. It can even stall the release of films if the production house involved somebody the group did not approve of.Some witnesses told the committee that even top actors have suffered because they “offended” a member of this group.
Members of ‘Women in Cinema Collective’, the association of women formed after the assault on a leading actress mentioned earlier in this report, have all been banned by this group.
NON-EXECUTION OF CONTRACTS
A witness stated that there was no system of executing a contract between a producer and an actor or a director in Malayalam cinema till 2000.
The Film Chamber of Commerce had received many complaints concerning contract disputes and when the Chamber leaned in favour of contracts, certain actors, who were used to having their way with every aspect of film-making, felt offended.
These actors, to convey their unhappiness with the proposal, left on a holiday abroad together, bringing the entire film industry to a standstill. When some rebellious directors managed to continue working by replacing the actors who had flown abroad, they were banned.
From then on, at least one famous director, who used to do three to four movies every year, could not direct a single film with any major actor.
One actress, while deposing before the committee, spoke about how in the absence of a contract, she was tricked into shooting scenes that involved levels of nudity and intimacy she was not comfortable with.
“She was asked to do many things, including a lip-lock, which was contrary to the understanding between the parties,” says the report.
JUNIOR ARTISTES TREATED LIKE SLAVES
Junior artistes are not recognised as artistes in the Malayalam film industry. They are not members of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes (AMMA) and thus the most vulnerable to abuse – both physical and financial.
The committee recorded how difficult it was to get junior artistes to depose. “We made efforts to get a few junior artists [to depose before the committee], but it appeared they were under some threat that if they stated anything before the committee, they would be barred from any opportunities in cinema,” says the report.
Dancers, who form the backdrop in song-and-dance sequences, were also reluctant to appear before the committee. And when they did, it appeared they were under pressure to not say anything that would hurt the industry’s image.The report mentions the following points to drive home the pitiable status of junior artistes in Malayalam film industry:
● Not provided access to toilets, though they are made to spend, on an average, 14 to 19 hours on sets.
● Not provided any rest area.
● Never paid their wages in time nor in full.
● If the production house releases Rs 700 as a day’s wage, the junior artist gets only Rs 500.
● Denial of food and water is a major complaint. Witnesses told the committee that women junior artistes are the most vulnerable to sexual exploitation because of their poor pay and working conditions. One witness spoke about contractors forming WhatsApp groups of junior artistes to push them into organised sex work.
How all-male power group of 10-15 controls Kerala film industry
Nikhila Henry, Aug 27, 2024: The Indian Express
An “all-male”, powerful and privileged group of 10-15 people who are at the top of the pecking order of Malayalam cinema controls the industry, handing out bans to actors and allegedly looking the other way when women come to them with complaints of harassment, according to the Justice K Hema Committee report that was released on August 19.
With more women accusing actors and industry leaders of sexual misconduct, this ‘power group’ in the industry, which the report dwells at length on, is a key talking point. There are, however, no indications of who these “powerful” men are since the High Court allowed for only a redacted version of the report – without names of the accused or the complainants – to be released.
The committee, which mentions “power” and “power group” at least 70 times in its report, details how women and men are at the receiving end of “the wrath of the powerful lobby that… rules the industry”. A prominent actor quoted in the report describes the lobby as “the mafia” that expects everyone to do their bidding, failing which they issue orders for bans or permanent ouster from the industry, no reasons given.
“In the course of the study, we understood that the Malayalam film industry is in the clutches of certain producers, directors, actors – all male. They control the whole Malayalam industry and dominate other persons working in cinema… No man nor woman dare to utter any word which may offend anyone belonging to the power group, because such persons will be wiped off the industry by the powerful lobby,” (retired) Justice K Hema writes in the report.
Another member of the committee, K B Valsalakumari, writes, “It is a kind of imposition of cultural hegemony by which the superordinated create a culture in which their continued dominance is considered beneficial.”
The third member and yesteryear actor T Sarada puts it simply, “There is gender discrimination in the film world”.
According to the committee, the bans that are issued “illegally and unconstitutionally” work as a tool for subjugation.
“If a member of the power group is not pleased with someone in cinema because of even personal prejudice, all members of the power group join hands and such person is prevented from working in cinema,” the report says, adding that no notices are served to the individuals concerned.
The ban is never spoken of in public, but word that a particular actor is a “troublemaker” and hence persona non grata spreads from one person to the other till it becomes official. “No evidence will be available to prove the ban but the person who is banned will come to know about the banning,” the report reads.
In the case of women actors, the report says, a commonly line used to enforce a ban is that “she is a ‘Me Too’ person” – a reference to the global movement in which women came out with sexual assault charges against predatory men.
In certain cases, film bodies arm twist producers into not casting a ‘banned’ artiste. “It is the (Kerala) Film Chamber of Commerce which issues ‘No objection certificate’ and it would be very easy for them to prevent the release of a movie. Therefore, the producer who is warned by the power group not to cast a particular actor will opt to produce his movie by casting another actor and not take any risk,” says the report, quoting Italian philosopher Antonio Gramsci and his theory of hegemony – the intellectual and moral subjugation of the less privileged by the ruling class.
Given the power dynamics, any Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) – mandated under The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace [Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal] Act – would be ineffective, the report says.
“Constitution of ICC comprising of persons in cinema will be of no use at all to protect any woman in Malayalam film industry from sexual harassment/assault/abuse/ in cinema… As long as power structures exist in the Malayalam film industry, they will take full control of the ICC,” the report reads. Instead, the committee recommends an independent body such as a tribunal to adjudicate the cases of sexual assault and abuse in the film industry.
Actor Maala Parvathi, who walked out of an ICC constituted by the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA), told The Indian Express, “I resigned from the ICC of AMMA because despite us members recommending action against an accused in a sexual harassment case, the body failed to move even a finger. The accused even let out the name of the survivor.” AMMA has, however, categorically denied the existence of the power group in Malayalam cinema.
Two days before he stepped down as AMMA general secretary following an actor’s allegation that he raped her, yesteryear actor Siddique had said, “In my film career, I have not heard about such a power group. There is no mafia either.”
Director Anjali Menon, a founding member of the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC), told the Indian Express, “There are many existing unsaid rules and power structures within the industry which tend to marginalise a certain section of people, predominantly women and people who have less power. When a clear statement that spells out what’s clearly wrong in the industry comes out, then this power structure gets dismantled… The report coming out is not in the interest of people who want to continue to hold on to those old, regressive power structures.”
Actor and WCC member Rima Kallingal pointed out that while these power structures exist even in other film industries, including Hollywood, it’s the resolve of Kerala’s “vocal women” that has helped to unearth many of these dark secrets. “It’s just that we have vocal women and a whole movement fuelled by a modern open-minded society to work against these power structures in this (Malayalam) industry,” Kallingal said.
Talking about the many covert and overt ways in which the power structures work, Kallingal said, “It’s a totally male dominated world… The power is (reflected) not just in the biggest of things where there is rape or sexual harassment or people have lost jobs, but even in the smallest of things, the microaggressions. The way women are spoken to on movie sets, the way you are always told that you bring no value to the movie, the way women are sidelined at every stage of filmmaking.”
Actors and technicians who have fought for the release of the committee report since 2019, when it was first submitted, point out that the very fact that the government sat on such an impactful report for so long is proof of the power the lobby wielded.
Mukesh, Baburaj accused
August 27, 2024: The Times of India
Kochi : The flood of revelations about sexual assault and harassment in Malayalam film industry following the release of a redacted version of the Justice K Hema Committee report last week continued Monday, with more women professionals coming out with accounts of mistreatment from their male counterparts. As many as eight Mollywood bigwigs, including actor and CPM legislator M Mukesh, faced allegations from junior actors and technicians.
Ernakulam police lodged an FIR against director Ranjith based on a complaint from a Bengali actor who raised charges of sexual misconduct against him dating back to 2009. Ranjith had stepped down as chairman of staterun Kerala Chalachitra Aca- demy. The case has been filed as a non-bailable offence. Others who faced allegations included Baburaj, joint secretary of Association of Malayalam Movie Artists, directors Sreekumar Menon and Thulasidas, and actors Jayasurya, Shine Tom Chacko, Edavela Babu and Maniyanpillai Raju. TNN
Kerala govt feels the heat as Mollywood scandal widens
Actor Minu Muneer joined the chorus of claims, revealing that a 16-year-old girl and her mother were sexually assaulted for two weeks on the sets of a 2008 movie directed by Bipin Prabhakar. It starred Prithviraj Sukumaran and Bhama in lead roles and Mammootty in a cameo role.
Much of the spotlight was on Mukesh. The accusations against the two-time CPM MLA put the Left govt under pressure. Yuva Morcha and Mahila Congress took out marches to his residence in Kollam, demanding a case against him and his resignation. Some others, like writer Sara Joseph and Chalachitra Academy vice-chairman Premkumar, objected to Mukesh’s reported inclusion in a committee of a cinema conclave planned by govt.
Mukesh has not responded to the charges. An actor who appeared in few movies levelled the allegations in a Facebook post against Mukesh, Jayasoorya, Maniyanpilla Raju and Idavela Babu and a few others. “In 2013, I was subjected to physical and verbal abuse by these individuals while working on a project. I was forced to leave the Malayalam film industry and relocate to Chennai. I am now seeking justice and accountability,” the actor wrote.
Later, sharing details of her ordeal with the media, she said Mukesh and Jayasurya tried to sexually assault her on the sets of movies while AMMA former general secretary Idavela Babu misbehaved with her at his flat, where she went to complete formalities for as- sociation membership. Maniyan Pillai Raju misbehaved with her while travelling in a car, she said.
A junior artist said Baburaj & director Sreekumar Menon sexually assaulted her at a house in Aluva and a hotel in Ernakulam, respectively. She also alleged that Shine Tom Chacko asked some people to arrange a meeting with her for a role in a movie featuring him. A well-known ac- tor in the 1990s, meanwhile, alleged that director Thulasidas misbehaved with her over the phone and knocked on her door at a film’s set in 1991. The filmmaker has denied the charges.
Responding to the claims, Raju demanded detailed investigations. Baburaj backed the calls for a probe while terming the allegations part of an attempt by vested interests to prevent him from becoming AMMA general secretary, replacing actor Siddique who resigned Sunday amid similar charges.
Jayasurya booked
August 31, 2024: The Times of India
Thiruvananthapuram : Kerala police have registered a second sexual assault case against Malayalam film actor Jayasurya within a span of 48 hours, following a fresh complaint from a woman actor alleging sexual misconduct, in addition to the existing case registered against him on August 28.
The new FIR was registered under Section 354 (assault or criminal force on woman with intent to outrage her modesty) of the IPC. Section 354 C of the IPC, which deals with voyeurism, has also been invoked. The woman alleged Jayasurya molested her on a movie set during 2012-2013. The cantonment police said on Thursday a case under the same section was registered against Jayasurya in another case.
Multiple FIRs have been registered against many Malayalam film personalities following allegations of sexual harassment in the wake of revelations in the Justice K Hema Committee report. AGENCIES
Aashiq Abu resigns from Directors’ Union
Director quits union over its ‘silence’
Noted director Aashiq Abu resigned from the Directors’ Union of the Film Employees Federation of Kerala on Friday, citing its “damning silence” over the Hema committee report. “The organisation and the leadership failed in fulfilling its social responsibility,” Abu reportedly wrote in the resignation letter. AGENCIES
Nivin Pauly
Shaju Philip, Sep 4, 2024: The Indian Express
A rape case was registered Tuesday against Malayalam movie star Nivin Pauly after a woman alleged in a complaint that he sexually abused her at a hotel in Dubai last year after promising her a role in a film. Pauly has denied the allegations.
Taking to Instagram, Pauly said the allegations were “entirely untrue” and that he would handle it legally.
“I have come across a false news report accusing me of abusing a girl. Please know that this is entirely untrue. I’m determined to go to any extent to prove these allegations are baseless and will take all necessary steps to bring those responsible to light. Thank you for your concern. The rest will be handled legally,” he said in a post.
The case will be probed by the Special Investigation Team formed to investigate sexual misconduct complaints coming from the Malayalam film industry in the aftermath of the release of the Justice Hema Committee report. The report released last month detailed the various issues faced by women in the industry, and found that this included rampant sexual misconduct.
Police said an FIR was registered under various IPC sections, including section 376 (rape). The incident took place in November 2023, as per the complaint.
In the days after the Hema Committee report’s release, a number of actors had come out with allegations against some of the veterans of the Malayalam film industry. This led to cases being registered against actor and ruling CPI(M) MLA Mukesh, as well as other prominent actors Jayasurya, Baburaj, Siddique, and others. Film director Ranjith also had cases registered against him following sexual misconduct allegations, which also led to his resignation as chairperson of the Kerala Chalachitra Academy.
Accusations made after Hema Committee report 2024 about earlier incidents
Siddique accused of rape
Confirming the news, AMMA vice president Jayan Cherthala told the media Siddique cannot hold the post when such allegations have come up against him.
Written by
Senior Malayalam actor Siddique resigned as the general secretary of Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes (AMMA) on Sunday, a day after a fellow prominent actor had alleged that she was raped by him at a young age.
The actor, who had raised the allegations against Siddique, said she was ready for legal action provided the government gives her an assurance that she would be protected.
“I have evidence with me. He had made a similar approach to another person. I want an assurance from the government that it would protect my life and dreams,” she said.
She added. “He had attained the present stature in the industry after trampling over the dreams of many people like me. Several skilled professionals have been thrown out of the industry. There are several people still in the industry who are ready to give him an opportunity in cinema,” she said.
She also went onto accuse another professional in the industry, saying that he, too, had approached her seeking sexual favours. “A photographer had given my mobile number to him without my consent. One night, he had called me saying vulgar things. After some time, he even asked if I could ask my friends if I wasn’t personally interested in the offer,” she added.
On Saturday, raising the allegations, the young actor had said: “I had dreamed big when I came into the film sector. He invited me to a hotel room on the pretext of discussing a film project. I had only a professional approach. But I was trapped and he sexually abused me. It was rape… He slapped and kicked me. I had to run away from there. He is a number one criminal. Some of my friends too had similar experiences with him. I was kept away from the industry on account of this incident. He has a different face today. These people lie towards themselves. If he stands before a mirror, he can see a criminal.”
Sreelekha Mitra accuses Ranjith
Malayalam filmmaker Ranjith resigns from Kerala Chalachitra Academy amid sexual harassment allegations.
Renowned Malayalam director Ranjith resigned from his post as chairman of the Kerala Chalachitra Academy after Bengali actor Sreelekha Mitra accused him of sexual misconduct. Ranjith denied the allegations, claiming they were part of a targeted attack.
Sreelekha said that the incident had taken place when Ranjith’s film Paleri Manikyam: Oru Pathirakolapathakathinte Katha was under production. The controversy sparked protests from the Congress party, demanding Ranjith's resignation. Despite the minister's statement that no action could be taken without a written complaint, the Congress persisted in its protests.
See also
The previous contents of the page that you are reading have been shifted to Box office records of Malayalam films
Sexual harassment in the Malayalam film industry
Dileep (Gopalakrishnan Pillai)
…and several other pages on Malayalam cinema.
Sexual harassment in India's media, entertainment, advertising industries; academics
