The turmoil faced by Malayalam film industry got worsened on Monday with three more actresses alleging that veteran actors sexually abused them in the course of movie making and script discussions.
The prominent actors to face the accusation of sexual molestation are Mukesh, who is a CPI(M) MLA, Baburaj, an actor essaying the roles of evil characters, Jayasoorya, a Kerala State Film Award winner for the best actor category and Manian Pillai Raju, a non-controversial character.
This is not the first time Mukesh, who hails from a family of artists in Kollam, figures in controversies. His first wife Saritha, South India’s prominent actress who had bagged national awards for her portrayal of challenging characters in Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam and Kannada films, “ran away” with her sons as a consequence of torturing meted out to her by the actor-turned-politician. Methil Devika, eminent danseuse whom he married later too gave up on him and left his household following the ill treatment by Mukesh and divorce proceedings are on in a family court.
A junior artist was the first person on Monday to come out with allegations of sexual abuse against Baburaj (who is also the vice-president of AMMA), Shine Tom Chacko and Sreekumar Menon (ad film maker). The day also saw a senior artist accusing Jayasoorya, Idavela Babu, and M P Raju for their sexual misdemeanor towards her. “Since these persons hold important positions in Association of Malayalam Movie Artists, female artists are afraid to make any complaints against them. The situation in Malayalam movies is that the female artists have to make a lot of compromises to survive in the profession,” she said.
Even as this report is being filed, Geetha Vijayan, a film actress who was rated as the Star of the future by critics, disclosed that she was ousted from the industry for not making any kind of adjustments with the directors and lead artists who approached her seeking sexual favours. “I have come out of many projects asking them to get lost. Though I lost may chances, looking back, I feel happy and satisfied,” said Geetha Vijayan.
The present chaos in Malayalam movies started with the release of K Hema Committee Report on the victimisation and harassment faced by women artists in Malayalam industry. The report “claimed” two persons on Sunday viz Ranjith (movie maker and chairman of Government run-Chalachitra Academy) and Siddique, general secretary of AMMA who were accused of inappropriate behaviour by Bengali actress Sreelekha Mitra and an upcoming artist Revathy Sampath. Both Ranjith and Siddique have resigned from their official positions.
The Kerala Government on Monday appointed a special investigation team consisting of women IPS officers to probe the findings of the Hema Committee Report and also the complaints by the women artists.
Ministers and bureaucrats got a reprieve from the heart rending devastation of Wayanad as the focus is on the spicy reports emerging from Mollywood. Even the evening debates in Malayalam satellite news channels have been monopolized by discussions on sexual abuse featuring the stars.
