17 cases so far, actor warns of threats after coming out

Actors Minu Muneer and Sonia Malhaar have made allegations of harassment

New Delhi:

A total of 17 cases have been registered in connection with allegations of sexual harassment that have rocked the Malayalam film industry and led to the dissolution of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists or AMMA. Several film stars and filmmakers are likely to be questioned.

The latest complaint has been filed by actress Sonia Malhaar, who has alleged that an actor molested her on a film set in 2013. The actress has filed a complaint with the Special Investigation Team set up by the Kerala government to tackle the ‘#MeToo’ storm in the film industry. She has urged the media not to link actor Jayasurya to her allegations.

Actor Minu Muneer, who earlier accused actors M Mukesh, Jayasurya, Maniyanpilla Raju and Idavela Babu of harassment during the shooting of films, has now said that she is receiving threatening messages after she spoke out. Last night, she posted a screenshot of a threatening message she received on social media. The SIT investigating the case will record her statement soon.

READ: ‘Hugged, Kissed Me’: Malayalam actor to NDTV over sexual abuse by co-stars

Speaking to NDTV, Ms. Muneer shared her harrowing experience. “I had a bitter experience while shooting for a film. I had gone to the washroom and when I came out, Jayasurya hugged me from behind and kissed me without my consent. I was shocked and ran away,” she said, adding that the actor offered her more work if she was willing to be with him.

The actor also alleged that former AMMA secretary Idavela Babu invited her to his apartment on the pretext of helping her get AMMA membership, after which he physically assaulted her.

She also alleged that actor Mukesh, MLA of the ruling CPM, had deprived her of membership after she rejected his advances.

“There is a lot of exploitation in the Malayalam film industry. I am a witness and a victim. When I moved to Chennai, no one contacted me to ask what happened?” she told NDTV.

Responding to the allegations, Mukesh welcomed a thorough probe to clear his name. He alleged that Muneer had sought financial help from him in the past and tried to blackmail him. “This group, which was constantly blackmailing me for money, has now turned against me at this opportune moment,” he said. The actor has since been removed from a government committee to formulate film policy.

Watch: Actor Sreelekha Mitra speaks to NDTV

Among the other actors who have spoken out is Bengali film actress Sreelekha Mitra, who has accused film director Ranjith of sexual assault. Speaking to NDTV, Ms Mitra admitted that harassment of women is an open secret in every film industry. “Women actors have to learn to say no. They are insecure about their jobs. They think if I say no, someone else will say yes. The system is such that you have to obey or leave,” she told NDTV. “Everyone knows about it. It is not something new. In this industry, it is widespread. The problem is that it has become normalised.”

READ: Mohanlal quits as Malayalam Film Body AMMA head amid ‘MeToo’ storm

Last night, the highest decision-making body of the Malayalam film industry, AMMA, took moral responsibility and dissolved itself “in light of allegations levelled by some actors against some members of the committee”. Prominent actor Mohanlal resigned as chairman of the panel.

The flurry of allegations against some top figures in the Malayalam film industry came against the backdrop of the public release of the Justice Hema Committee report last week.

The 235-page report, published after redacting the names of witnesses and suspects, says the Malayalam film industry is controlled by 10-15 male producers, directors and actors.

The three-member Justice Hema Committee was set up by the state government in 2017 and submitted its report in 2019. The report has not been made public so far due to legal challenges to its publication.