Malayalam actor Charmila accuses producer of sexual abuse 27 years ago

While the row over sexual exploitation in the Malayalam film industry continues, another actor, Charmila, has accused a film producer of sexually assaulting her around 27 years ago.

According to a report by CNN News 18Charmila said, “I had a traumatic experience in the Malayalam film industry. It was during the shooting of ‘Arjunan Pillayum Anchu Makkalum’. We had to shoot a song in Pollachi in Tamil Nadu. After the three-day shoot was completed, the production manager asked me to meet the producer before I left. I asked my assistants to come with me as I don’t go anywhere alone.”

However, the manager stopped the assistants and they still wanted to go with her, Charmila added.

“When I entered the producer’s room, there were seven to eight of them drinking. One of them jumped on my assistant and tried to remove her sari and the other came towards me. My male assistant tried to stop him and he was beaten up,” she further said.

“Meanwhile, another man grabbed my hand. I bit him and ran out of the hotel to seek help. A group of autorickshaw boys came to my rescue. With their help, I called my father who contacted Kalaignar’s wife Rajathi Ammal and the police arrived,” Charmila said in the report.

The Malayalam actor claimed she lost 28 films because she refused to conform, a code word for asking for sex in exchange for work in films.

She recounted another incident: “Malayalam director Hariharan met me along with actor Vishnu. We had coffee, discussed the script and he (Hariharan) sent me away in a nice manner. Later, he called Vishnu and asked him to tell me to ‘adjust’. Vishnu told Hariharan that I would not ‘adjust’ and we both lost the film offer.”

Charmila praised the Tamil film industry and said it is better and the Nadigar Sangam provides a safe environment for women artistes.

“In my experience, the Tamil industry is better and the Nadigar Sangam is ready to try their best and protect actresses,” she said.