Bengaluru:

Malayalam director Ranjith Balakrishnan has been booked for sexual assault – based on a complaint filed last week in Bengaluru by a 31-year-old male actor – as the #MeToo wave continues to sweep the Kerala film industry after the release of the Justice K Hema Committee report was released.

The actor alleged he was sexually assaulted by the filmmaker at a five-star hotel in the city.

He said he first met Ranjith in Kozhikode (Calicut) when the director was shooting the Mammootty-starrer ‘Bavuttiyude Namathil’. The male actor has claimed Ranjith invited him to the hotel near Bengaluru’s Kempegowda International Airport in December 2012 – on the pretext of an audition – and then sexually assaulted him; the filmmaker allegedly forced the man to strip in exchange for a prominent role in his movie. The man said he thought stripping was part of the audition.

READ | Actor Details Sex Assault In Ranjith #MeToo Case, Thought It Was Audition

A three-time National Film Awards winner, Ranjith, 60, has also been accused of sexual assault by a Bengali actress who filed a complaint with the Kochi Police Commissioner. Kochi police have registered a case based on her complaint, which alleges she was assaulted in a city hotel.

Ranjith has denied the allegation, explaining he had called the actress – Sreelekha Mitra – for an audition for the movie ‘Paleri Manikyam’ but sent her back after deciding she was not suitable.

In her complaint – sent via email – Ms Mitra alleged Ranjith touched her inappropriately, with sexual intent, after inviting her to act in the movie. This was in 2009.

Ranjith, who was then the Chairman of the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy, quit after tremendous pressure on Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and his government by the opposition.

Congress leader VD Satheeshan, also the Leader of the Opposition, and the BJP’s state boss, K Surendran, had both demanded Ranjith’s resignation from the academy.

Rape and assault allegations against senior Malayalam actors and film directors have been pouring in since the Justice Hema Committee report was released in August. Multiple cases have been filed against top actors, including Mukesh, who is also a lawmaker with the ruling CPIM.

READ | Kerala MLA Mukesh Arrested In Malayalam MeToo Row, To Be Freed

Mukesh was arrested late last month; he had, however, secured anticipatory bail. He has been charged with offences including the use of force against women with intent to outrage her modesty.

A day later another top Malayalam film industry figure, Edavela Babu – actor and former General Secretary of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes, or AMMA – was arrested in a rape case.

READ | Malayalam Actor Edavela Babu Arrested In Rape Case

The uproar over these and other cases led to the dissolution of the AMMA Executive Committee that was led by top actor Mohanlal, who said the panel was taking “moral responsibility” and had dissolved itself “in light of allegations made by some actors against some of the committee”.

READ | Mohanlal Quits As Malayalam Film Body Chief Amid #MeToo Storm

The flood of sexual assault and rape allegations also found echoes in neighbouring Tamil Nadu, after popular actor Sowmya accused a Tamil director of horrific mental, physical, and sexual assault.

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New Delhi:

The #MeToo movement across the Malayalam film industry has created waves across the country with several young actors now speaking out about the abuse they faced at the hands of veteran directors, producers, and actors. Film director Ranjith now facing serious allegations of sexual misconduct, with two separate cases filed against him. The latest complaint has been lodged by a young actor who alleges he was sexually abused by Ranjith in 2012.

According to the complaint filed with the Kochi police, the victim was lured to a hotel in Bengaluru under the pretext of an audition. Ranjith allegedly forced the victim to strip and assaulted him, promising prominent roles in exchange. The victim claimed he believed it was part of the audition process and was even offered money the next morning.

This is the second case of sexual allegations against Ranjith. Earlier, a Bengali actor had filed a complaint against him, alleging sexual assault. The Kochi police have registered an FIR in connection with her complaint, which alleges that she was assaulted in a hotel in Kochi.

Ranjith denied the accusations, explaining that Mitra was called for an audition for the movie ‘Paleri Manikyam’, but he decided that she was not suitable for the role and sent her back.

Amid mounting pressure on the government, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Sunday announced the establishment of a seven-member special investigation team for the probe into the allegations made in the wake of the Hema Committee report being published.

Ranjith, who was the Chairman of the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy, quit the post on Sunday after tremendous pressure was put on the Pinarayi Vijayan government by the Opposition parties and the media had a field day ever since the Hema Committee report which was made public recently, exposing “rampant sexual abuse” in the Malayalam film industry.

New Delhi:

The Malayalam film industry is grappling with allegations of harassment and sexual abuse, particularly against women professionals. The issue, which has been simmering under the surface for years, was thrust into the limelight following explosive findings of the Hema Committee. 

This 290-page report, commissioned by the Kerala government and headed by retired Justice K Hema revealed systemic harassment, abuse, and a “criminal nexus” within the industry, triggering high-profile resignations and public outcry.

High-Profile Resignations

The public release of the Hema Committee report has already led to fallout within the Malayalam film industry. Two high-profile figures, director Ranjith Balakrishnan and actor Siddique, have resigned from their respective positions amid allegations of misconduct.

Ranjith, a prominent filmmaker and the chairman of the Kerala Chalachitra Academy resigned following accusations of inappropriate behaviour by a Bengali actress. The actress alleged that Ranjith misbehaved with her during a film shoot several years ago. However, Ranjith has denied the allegations, claiming that he is the “real victim”.

“I have been targeted by a certain section of people since the day I took charge as the Chairman of the Academy. I need to prove before the society that the allegations are untrue. I have decided to move legally and bring out the truth,” he was heard saying in an audio clip sent to a television channel, as reported by news agency PTI.

“Many people including the media are attacking me without understanding the truth. In this context, I have decided to step down from the post,” Ranjith added.

Actor Siddique, who served as the general secretary of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA), also stepped down following allegations of sexual assault by an actress. She accused Siddique of sexually abusing her during a film discussion when she was just 21 years old.

Various members of AMMA, including vice president Jayan Cherthala and actor Anoop Chandran, have supported Siddique’s decision to step down arguing that it was morally and ethically correct.

What Is Hema Committee Report

The Hema Committee was constituted by the Kerala government in the aftermath of an assault case involving an actress. The actress alleged that she was assaulted by a group of men while travelling in 2017. The case made national headlines when actor Dileep, one of Malayalam cinema’s biggest names, was named as one of the accused. Dileep was arrested and kept in custody for three months before being released on bail.

The committee’s mandate was to investigate the working conditions of women in the Malayalam film industry and suggest measures to improve their safety and dignity.

The committee’s report, which took five years to see the light of day, details numerous instances of sexual harassment, exploitation, and gender discrimination faced by women in Malayalam cinema. The report highlights the existence of a “power nexus” within the industry, where a small group of influential men, including producers, directors, and actors, allegedly control the fate of women professionals. Those who refuse to comply with their demands are systematically ostracised and pushed out of the industry, the report says.

Political Fallout  

The release of the report has prompted strong reactions from political parties and public figures. The opposition Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) has called for a thorough investigation by a team of women IPS officers, while the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) have demanded strict action against those implicated in the report.

The Kerala State Women’s Commission has also taken up the issue, recommending the establishment of grievance redressal committees on film sets.

The Women in Cinema Collective (WCC), a group of women professionals in the Malayalam film industry has welcomed the release of the Hema Committee report.

“It has been a long journey for us! We believed that our fight for justice for all women wanting a dignified professional space in the film industry was the right fight. Today we stand vindicated. The publication of the Hema Committee report is another step that WCC has taken,” it said in a Facebook post.

Ranjith’s resignation has been welcomed by many, including state Cultural Affairs Minister Saji Cheriyan, who said that the Left government in Kerala has always supported victims of sexual harassment.