Actors Sonia Malhaar, Minu Muneer receive threats amid Mollywood’s ‘#MeToo’ movement

Malayalam film industry has been in the limelight in the past few days. Veteran actress Minu Muneer has made major allegations against top leaders and recently came forward about the threats she has been receiving.

The Malayalam film industry has been thrown into chaos with as many as 17 cases filed on allegations of sexual harassment. The upheaval has led to the dissolution of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA). It is expected that scores of industry figures including actors and directors will be questioned.

Actress Sonia Malhaar reveals she has faced sexual abuse in the workplace

Recently, Malayalam actress Sonia Malhaar came forward with allegations of sexual assault by a male actor in 2013 on a film set. Sonia promptly responded by filing a complaint with the Kerala Special Investigation Team, which was specifically set up to tackle claims related to the ‘#MeToo’ movement in the film industry. However, Malhaar is keen to make it clear to the media that actor Jayasurya is not involved in these allegations.

Actress Minu Muneer reports threats on social media

Malayalam actress Minu Muneer, who has exposed actors like M Mukesh, Jayasurya, Maniyanpilla Raju and Idavela Babu, has now raised her voice against the threats she has been receiving after she opened up. She recently revealed one of the messages hurled at her on social media. She is all set to give her statement to the Special Investigation Team (SIT) probing the case.

The actress recounts a chilling incident in which she alleges that ex-AMMA secretary Idavela Babu duped her by offering her help in getting AMMA membership, only to assault her in his apartment. She also points her finger at actor Mukesh, also a CPM MLA, for denying her AMMA membership after she rejected his indecent proposal.

While talking to NDTV, Minu Muneer revealed shocking details about her incident with Jayasurya: “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 out.”

She told the media portal, “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?” Mukesh is currently facing some serious allegations but he is not giving up. He has openly said that he is ready and willing to cooperate in a thorough investigation to establish his innocence.

He claims that Muneer had approached him earlier to get him to pay some money. Mukesh believes that this group that is now turning against him is the one pressuring him to get money. The actor who has landed in this situation has been removed from his position in a government committee that is tasked with shaping future film policy.

About the Hema Committee Report

The Malayalam film industry appears to be in the grip of a select group of around 10-15 men, including producers, directors and actors. This revelation comes as part of a 235-page report, in which the identities of both victims and accused have been redacted for privacy reasons. The report is the result of the diligent efforts of the Justice Hema Committee, a three-member team set up by the state government in 2017 and completed its investigation in 2019. However, due to legal disputes, the report could only be made public recently.