Actor Mohanlal has resigned as president of the embattled Association of Malayalam Movie Actors (AMMA), following a flurry of allegations of sexual abuse and rape against some of Mollywood's biggest names, including veteran actor Siddique and filmmaker Ranjith Balakrishnan.
All members of the film organization's executive committee have also resigned.
A statement from AMMA said the highest decision-making body had taken “moral responsibility” and dissolved itself “in light of the allegations leveled by some actors against members of the committee”.
According to AMMA, elections will be held within two months to form a new committee.
Senior figures in the Malayalam film industry are facing allegations of sexual abuse following the public release of the Justice Hema Committee report last week. The report – which contains several shocking accounts of abuse – was submitted to the Kerala government in 2019 but subsequently buried.
It was made public this month after legal objections from members of the film industry were resolved.
DailyExpertNews spoke to several women who have filed complaints against prominent Malayalam actors and filmmakers, including actor Baburaj, who was joint secretary of AMMA before he too resigned.
READ | “Hoping for justice…”: Young Kerala actor claims to have been raped by actor Baburaj
A junior artiste told DailyExpertNews that he raped her at his house in Ernakulam district in 2019 after inviting her there on the pretext of a role in one of his films. He claimed that the allegation was false and that he wanted to undermine his chances of succeeding fellow actor Siddique as the film body’s general secretary.
READ | Malayalam actor Siddique files complaint over sexual abuse allegation
Siddique resigned last week amid another sexual assault allegation. He filed a police complaint against his accuser, Revathy Sampath, saying she was “sexually abused… physically and mentally.”
READ | 'Hugged me, kissed me': Malayalam actor to DailyExpertNews on sexual abuse
Another actor, Minu Muneer, has accused well-known actors M Mukesh and Jayasurya, and two others, of physical and verbal abuse on the sets of a film in 2013.
“I had a bitter experience during the shooting… I went to the washroom and when I came out, Jayasurya hugged and kissed me without my consent. I was shocked and ran away,” she told DailyExpertNews.
Maniyanpilla Raju, one of the people accused by Ms Muneer, has called for an investigation into the allegations, saying there are multiple vested interests behind the allegations.
READ | High-profile layoffs, political fallout: What's happening in Mollywood
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has put the matter under strict surveillance and has set up a seven-member SIT to investigate all allegations of sexual abuse.
However, that has not prevented the opposition BJP and the Congress-led United Democratic Front from receiving a barrage of political attacks.
DailyExpertNews is now available on WhatsApp channels. Click on the link to get all the latest updates from DailyExpertNews in your chat.
