Four leading actors accused of sexual abuse again, Malayalam film industry in turmoil

Thiruvananthapuram: The fallout from the Justice K Hema Commission report on harassment and abuse in the Malayalam cinema industry grew on Monday as more female actors came forward with disturbing stories of abuse at the hands of their male counterparts, further unsettling Kerala’s political and cultural landscape.

While actress Minu Muneer, who has acted in a handful of films, has leveled allegations of sexual abuse against actor and former MP M Mukesh, Jayasoorya, Maniyanpilla Raju and Idavela Babu, another well-known actress has come forward with allegations of misconduct by a well-known filmmaker from years ago.

A 1990s film actress who accused the filmmaker of misconduct has expressed her willingness to give a statement to police investigating the case. The filmmaker has denied the allegations.

“I am writing to report series of incidents of physical and verbal abuse that I have suffered at the hands of 1. Mukesh 2, Maniyan pilla raju, 3. Idavela Babu 4. Jayasoorya 5. Adv Chandrasekaran 6. Production Manager Noble and Vichu, in the Malayalam film industry,” Minu Muneer alleged in a Facebook post.

“In 2013, I was physically and verbally abused by these individuals while I was working on a project. I tried to cooperate and continue working, but the abuse became unbearable,” the actress, who signed her Facebook post as Minu Kurian, further complained.

Except for Maniyanpilla Raju, none of the actors accused by Minu Muneer have responded to her allegations.

On the same day, a young artist accused actor Baburaj, known for his villainous roles in films, of sexual abuse.

Baburaj, an official of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA), rejected the allegations and suspected vested interests in the film industry to be behind them. He alleged that the allegation was an attempt to prevent him from becoming general secretary of AMMA, replacing Siddique, who had resigned on Sunday amid similar allegations.

Meanwhile, the serious and detailed revelation of sexual harassment allegations against two-time CPI(M) legislator M Mukesh by the woman actor has embarrassed the state government.

While opposition parties accuse the left-wing government of protecting predators and ignoring revelations from female victims, ministers and ruling MPs defend themselves, pointing to the creation of a special investigation team to investigate allegations from female professionals in the sector.

However, the persistent allegations against Mukesh, who represents Kollam constituency in the Assembly, have put pressure on the CPI(M)-led government.

A similar accusation of intimidation made against Mukesh by a woman years ago resurfaced on Sunday during discussions on the Hema panel report.

Hours after Minu Muneer levelled fresh allegations against Mukesh in a series of interviews with news channels on Monday, workers of Yuva Morcha and Mahila Congress organised separate marches to his residence in Kollam, demanding that a case be filed against him and that he resign from the legislature.

Opposition leader VD Satheesan expects that Mukesh, like Ranjith and Siddique, will also resign in the wake of the allegations against him.

Reacting to the revelations against Mukesh, Higher Education Minister R Bindhu said any accusation against anyone should be probed on factual grounds.

“The wrongdoers must be punished. Innocent people should not be punished,” she told media here.

Eminent writer Sara Joseph and Kerala Chalachitra Academy vice-chairman Premkumar raised objections over the reported inclusion of Mukesh in the film committee of the state government’s upcoming film conclave.

“Mukesh’s addition to the panel is ridiculous. He should resign as MLA if he has any self-respect,” Joseph said.

The Kollam MP has not yet responded to the fresh allegations.

Responding to questions about the revival of the years-old allegations on Sunday, Mukesh said he was being deliberately targeted by vested interests as he is an MLA from the CPI(M).

The female actor also accused three other prominent actors in the Malayalam film industry of sexual abuse.

Meanwhile, actress Maniyanpilla Raju, who is among the prominent actors named by her, has called for an inquiry into the allegations surfacing in the Malayalam film industry.

He told scribes that there would be many more revelations and that there would be multiple interests behind them.

“Some people will try to take advantage of the situation. Among the accused, there will be innocent as well as guilty parties. Therefore, a comprehensive investigation is necessary,” Raju said.

The development comes a day after director Ranjith and actor Siddique resigned as executives at a state-run film academy and the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA) respectively, following allegations of sexual abuse against them.

Amid mounting pressure on the government to take action against alleged molesters in the film industry, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Sunday announced the formation of a seven-member special team to probe atrocities against female actors.

The report by the Justice Hema Committee, set up by the Kerala government after the 2017 sexual assault case of an actress, has brought to light cases of harassment and exploitation of women in the Malayalam cinema industry, leading to calls for action against the culprits.