Malayalam director Ranjith quits Kerala Film Academy amid misconduct allegations

Ranjith denied the allegations and explained that Sreelekha Mitra was invited for an audition.

Thiruvananthapuram:

Malayalam filmmaker Ranjith resigned as chairman of the state-run Kerala Chalachitra Academy on Sunday after public outrage erupted over his dismissal after Bengali actor Sreelekha Mitra accused him of misbehaving with her.

Ranjith communicated his decision to Culture Minister Saji Cherian and indicated that he no longer wishes to continue in his post in view of the allegations against him.

Mitra revealed to the media that Ranjith had misbehaved with her when she was invited to his home in 2009 to discuss a project.

She said she felt uncomfortable after he made “subtle advances” and left Kerala the next day.

Ranjith denied the allegations and explained that Mitra was invited for an audition for the film ‘Paleri Manikyam’, but he decided that she was not suitable for the role and turned her down.

Kerala Opposition Leader VD Satheeshan, state BJP president K. Surendran and Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee president K. Sudhakaran have demanded Ranjith’s resignation from the Academy.

The Communist Party of India (CPI), an alliance partner of the Left Front, has also called for Ranjith’s resignation. The CPI’s youth wing, the All India Youth Federation (AIYF), has also announced that a protest march will be held outside the Kerala Chalachitra Academy on Monday if Ranjith does not submit his papers.

Malayalam film actors Anoop Chandran and Jayan Cherthala also demanded Ranjith’s resignation.

On Saturday, Cherian defended director Ranjith.

Malayalam actor Siddique on Sunday resigned as General Secretary of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA) following allegations of sexual abuse by actress Revathy Sampath.

The actor submitted his resignation through email to the organisation’s chairman and Malayalam superstar Mohanlal.

Siddique told IANS: “I am resigning as External Affairs Minister because of the allegations against me.”

The allegations came to light after the release of the Justice Hema Committee report, which exposed gender abuse and sexual exploitation in the Malayalam film industry.

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