Kerala MLA Mukesh removed from film body amid allegations of sexual abuse by actress Minu Muneer

There are a total of 17 cases pending involving actors and filmmakers from Kerala, including Siddique and Ranjith Balakrishnan. Sreelekha Mitra, a Bengali actress, has alleged that Ranjith Balakrishnan molested her.

The recent release of the Justice Hema Committee report, which threw light on the #MeToo scandal in the Malayalam film industry, has sent the first political ripples. Mukesh, a well-known actor and an MLA representing the CPI(M), has been removed from his post in a government commission that oversees and shapes regulations related to the film industry.

Minu Muneer makes a serious allegation of sexual misconduct against Mukesh, and recounts an unpleasant incident from a film set in 2013, involving both him and Jayasurya. Muneer alleges that Mukesh made inappropriate advances when she sought his advice to join the actors’ association, AMMA.

In a candid conversation, she told NDTV, “There is a lot of exploitation in this industry. I am a witness and a victim. When I moved to Chennai, no one contacted me to ask what happened…” On Tuesday, Mukesh, in a Facebook post, vehemently denied the allegations levelled against him. He stressed the need for a comprehensive investigation and urged to find out the true details of the allegations made public. Mukesh noted that his first communication with Ms Muneer was in 2009 and that they were in touch again this year, during which she demanded at least Rs 1 lakh. Later, her husband approached him and asked for a hefty amount.

He stood his ground, refusing to succumb to intimidation and insisting on the importance of revealing the truth. He also showed himself ready to submit to any investigation into allegations against filmmakers, even if it meant investigating his own conduct. Amid a flurry of allegations, we saw Mohanlal, a veteran actor, resign as the head of AMMA yesterday. The entire executive committee of the organisation also abandoned its responsibility for the current situation.

Despite being closely watched by the opposition BJP and the Congress-led United Democratic Front, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has formed a seven-member team — a Special Investigation Team (SIT) — to thoroughly probe all allegations of sexual abuse.

Minu Muneer further told the media portal: “Everyone knows about it (the sexual abuse and exploitation of women). It is not new… in this industry it is widespread. The problem is that it has been normalised.”