With the Hema committee report and fresh allegations of sexual harassment exposing the dark side of sexual harassment in the Malayalam film industry, female artistes say this “revolt” was necessary and is a “warning to every workplace”. While actress-politician Khushbu Sundar urged women to “raise their voices in time”, actress Mala Parvathy said it was time to realise that female artistes “don't need godfathers” and “giving a job to a woman is not a favour to her”.
Sundar, a former member of the National Commission for Women (NCW) who has worked in several languages, says, “We needed this uprising. Such incidents happen in every industry, why is the focus only on the film industry? Why not on the IT industry, medical, media, government jobs? It happens everywhere, and it should be reported as soon as it happens. If someone compromises for any reason, you lose the power to speak about it later. When someone misbehaves with you, speak up immediately. There should be no fear of losing the job. Speaking up after 20 years does not work.”
Also Read | Bengali actor accuses Malayalam filmmaker Ranjith of sexual harassment: 'He touched me…it was painful'
Following the 2017 assault case on an actress involving actor Dileep, the Kerala government had appointed a panel to study issues of sexual harassment and gender inequality. The Justice K Hema committee in its report recorded explosive details of harassment, exploitation and abuse of women professionals in the film industry and alleged that a “criminal gang” was controlling the industry, where women were suppressed.
So far, 10 Malayalam film bigwigs, including actors and directors, have been named by various female artistes, and accused of sexual harassment and mental trauma by refusing to give them work because they did not meet their “sexual” demands.
Malayalam Movie Artistes Association (AMMA) president Mohanlal resigned from their posts on Tuesday along with the entire executive committee, citing “moral responsibility” in the wake of the allegations. In its media statement, the now-disbanded AMMA committee said: “After the release of the Hema Committee report and the subsequent sexual allegations made by some of the office bearers of AMMA's Executive Committee in the social, visual and print media, the current Executive Committee of AMMA is resigning from its position keeping in mind its moral responsibility. We thank you for your criticism and correction,” it said.
Srilekha Mitra and Meenu Munir's allegations cause a stir!
The matter came to light when Bengali actress Srilekha Mitra filed a complaint before the Kochi city police commissioner against director Ranjith for trying to touch her forcibly with sexual intent. She recalled the 2009 incident in Kochi, wherein she alleged that Ranjith invited her to act in the film, Palerimanikkam, and during the discussion called her to his flat in Kaloor-Kadavanthra, Kochi.
Mitra said in her complaint, “While we were discussing the script, he forcibly grabbed my hand. He tried to touch other parts of my body with sexual intent. When I realised that he did not have a film in mind and that I had to run away from the flat, I ran back to my hotel.” After the complaint was filed, Ranjith, who was the chairman of the Kerala Chalachitra Academy, resigned.
Also Read | Malayalam film industry's #MeToo movement: Who all are involved? What did Justice Hema Committee report say?
Soon after, actor Meenu Muneer made a sexual abuse revelation on social media against seven prominent personalities from the Malayalam film industry, including actor-politician Mukesh, actors Jayasurya, Maniyanpilla Raju and Edavela Babu, as well as lawyer VS Chandrasekaran, production controller Noble and casting director Vichu.
When asked why she chose to open up now, Muneer said that with the strong support of the government and concerned friends, she felt it was time to “tear the bandage off”. She alleged that Jayasurya “hugged her from behind” and “kissed her without consent” on the set. She also alleged that Maniyanpilla Raju repeatedly tried to enter her hotel room uninvited, while Noble misbehaved with her during a car ride.
“I feel quite strong now. I know the government and the police will stand by me. When the truth is told, there is no fear. When we raised our complaints at that time, no one took them seriously. Now, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed by the Kerala government to investigate these allegations has started its work, and soon you will see how these so-called bigwigs will stand up to the court of law,” the actor said.
This is just the tip of the iceberg, says Munir
Munir told News18, “Amma means mother, and everyone should feel safe, protected and loved. This Amma was a web of deceit that was used to trap young artistes, trying to coerce them using power and influence. The resignation of all the members shows how deep the rot is.”
“As AMMA they should have taken some tough decisions; they didn't. As a committee they were useless, but now we are waiting for the police investigation,” he said.
Munir, who is waiting for a team of investigating officers to record her statement on the cases filed by her, said, “This is just the tip of the iceberg. Now you will see the abusers falling one by one. We have suffered a lot over the years, but now we have decided to stand up and fight. This fight is real, and we will not stop until justice is served.”
“I am getting calls from people saying I should be careful because I am facing big names. I am not scared at all. I know the truth, and we will stand by it.”
More actors face #METOO allegations
Following Munir's revelations, several other actors have also come out in the open about the abuse they faced. Senior actor Siddique, who was serving as AMMA's general secretary, also resigned following sexual abuse allegations levelled by actor Revathi Sampath. Meanwhile, a junior artist accused actor Baburaj of sexual abuse. Baburaj was also a part of AMMA.
Sampath said that when she told the senior actor that she would go public with his misbehaviour, he replied: “Who will believe you? Does anyone know you? Have you worked in a single film? People admire my work and will not believe a single word you say.”
Also Read | Kerala govt forms SIT to probe allegations against women artistes in Malayalam cinema
Faced a situation but handled it; proud of WCC: Khushboo Sundar
Sharing her experience with a producer in the Tamil film industry who courted her as a young, budding actor, Khushbu Sundar said she ended it with an aggressive stance. “I told him to stop, took out my slipper, and said it was size 41 and it would fall on him if he tried it. I asked him if he wanted it in my dressing room or on his face in front of the set,” she recalled, adding that it did not stop her from getting films or pursuing a career.
She said she was proud of the seven women of the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC) who had sought the intervention of the Kerala High Court to protect women from sexual harassment in Malayalam film production units. “Someone needed to bell the cat. I am very happy that the seven-member women of the WCC stood together and were able to do this. We are very proud of this.”
Had the Hema report been made public earlier, more women could have been saved: Revathi
Three-time National Award winner and actress Revathi also came out in support of the Hema Committee report, which was commissioned by the Kerala government and ran to 233 pages, highlighting widespread exploitation and harassment of women professionals in the Malayalam film industry.
Also Read | Sound designer Resul Pookutty praises Revathi for her contribution to Hema committee report
Revathi, one of the founders of WCC, has been vocal in advocating for a safer industry for women. She said she faced discrimination for supporting women's issues. “I also faced discrimination from some of my colleagues for supporting women's issues. This discrimination caused me pain and shock,” Revathi told the media, adding that many women could have been saved if the Hema report had been made public earlier.
Giving a job to a woman is not a favour: Mala Parvati
Parvathy spoke about how much the industry has been shocked by such incidents. “How deep is the rot? To what extent is it? Hundreds of incidents have been covered up. But now, with the Hema Committee report and people speaking out against it, we are going to see a change. People are now listening to us, talking about safety and finally paying serious attention,” the senior actor said.
She hopes that other film industries will also take inspiration from Kerala's story and create a new wave of change. “The resignation of AMMA members is an admission that there are some problems and they need to be fixed,” Parvathy said.
“Giving a job to a woman is not a favour but something that is earned by her because she is talented and has the qualifications for the job. We will fight, we will give auditions, prove our worth and get what we want. We don't need a godfather to give us work. We can stand on our own feet and showcase our work in a great way,” she said, expressing her feelings about the revelations being described as the industry's #MeToo movement.