Malayalam filmmaker Ranjith resigned as chairman of the Kerala Chalachitra Academy on Sunday after Bengali actress Sreelekha Mitra accused him of misconduct. Ranjith said he stepped down to avoid damaging the reputation of the state’s Left government and plans to fight the allegations legally, as per PTI. Meanwhile, veteran Malayalam actor Siddique, who is also the general secretary of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA), has also resigned from his post, after being accused of sexual abuse. AMMA vice president Jayan Cherthala confirmed it.
Background
Sreelekha recently spoke to Asianet News when she accused Ranjith of sexually harassing her during the auditions for his 2009 film Paleri Manikyam: Oru Pathirakolapathakathinte Katha. “I was talking on the phone to a cinematographer, standing in Ranjith’s bedroom balcony. As I stood there, he touched my bangles. I was uncomfortable with it, but I gave him the benefit of doubt. Then he started caressing my neck, so I excused myself and left the room,” the actress said.
Describing the incident as traumatic, she added, “I was not able to share the incident with anyone. After the incident, I spent the night in my hotel room in fear, thinking, what if people come and knock on my door? I was waiting for daylight.”
Revathy Sampath on Siddique
Revathy Sampath, who accused Siddique of sexual abuse, recalled details of what had happened. “After completing my Plus Two, I had a terrible experience. Siddique sent me messages on Facebook. I had come to discuss a film. This incident occurred when I was 21 years old. He first approached me by calling me ‘Mole.’ There was abuse from Siddique’s side. During the discussion, he sexually abused me. The face he shows now is not the one I saw back then,” Revanthy said during a media interaction.
The Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes (AMMA) responded to the Justice Hema Committee report on working conditions and sexual exploitation in the Malayalam film industry on Friday. AMMA welcomed the report but denied the presence of powerful groups and dismissed the casting couch claims.
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