Director Ranjith accused of sexual exploitation by Kozhikode youth

Hyderabad: A young man from Kozhikode has filed a sexual assault complaint against Malayalam director Ranjith Balakrishnan. The complaint, filed with the state police chief, details an alleged incident that took place in 2012 at a five-star hotel in Bengaluru. This comes after a Bengali actor accused the filmmaker of sexual misconduct.

According to the complainant, he met Ranjith during the shooting of the film Bavuttiyude Namathil in Kozhikode, where he expressed his desire to pursue an acting career. Ranjith allegedly gave him his mobile number written on a tissue and instructed him to contact him through SMS. The complainant claims that he was later invited to Ranjith’s hotel room in Bengaluru on the pretext of discussing a film opportunity.

Upon arriving at the hotel, the man alleges that Ranjith forced him in through a back door, offered him alcohol and then subjected him to sexual exploitation. The complainant said that Ranjith made inappropriate comments about his appearance and forced him to undress. He said he could not fully describe the extent of the alleged abuse but would provide police with more details.

The allegation is significant as it is the first male victim to come forward with allegations of sexual abuse amid the ongoing #MeToo movement in the Malayalam film industry. Ranjith, who recently resigned as the head of the Kerala Chalachitra Academy following allegations of misconduct, has come under increasing scrutiny. Earlier this week, a non-bailable case was filed against him by a Bengali actor accusing him of similar misconduct.

Read more

‘Hidden for six years’: Kangana Ranaut on Hema committee report, calls Malayalam film industry ‘hopeless’

FIR filed against Malayalam actors Mukesh, Edavela Babu and others after allegations of sexual abuse

Filmmaker Ranjith resigns as chairman of Kerala Chalachitra Academy; Siddique steps down from AMMA amid allegations of misconduct