New book examines cases of sexual violence, including one that exposes Malayalam cinema

A Suitable Agency will represent journalist Nidhi Suresh's forthcoming book on sexual violence. The idea for the as-yet-untitled book was born out of Suresh's six years of reporting on numerous cases of sexual assault.

The turning point was her ten-month investigation into the sexual abuse of a well-known actress in Malayalam cinema.

In February 2017, a well-known actress was sexually assaulted by six hired criminals in Kochi. Star actor Dileep was accused of orchestrating the crime.

The case sparked not just opposition but an existential crisis in a state often considered one of the most progressive in India. This story has brought Kerala to the brink of the abyss.

It sparked a Weinstein-style movement that preceded the global #MeToo campaign.

The Women in Cinema Collective was formed in 2017 and forced the Government of Kerala to set up the Justice K Hema Committee, which recorded the testimonies on the working conditions of women in Malayalam cinema.

The report was not made public for five years. A redacted version was published in August this year.

This has now triggered a second wave of the #MeToo movement in Kerala.

“The domino effect of sexual assault in 2017 is forcing us to confront ourselves. It is forcing us to think about our own ecosystems and how these conversations play out in our own intimate spaces. I spent most of my schooling in Kerala.

“My first personal encounters with intimacy and abuse took place in Kerala. As a Malayalee living in Delhi, I have always struggled to explain the form and extent of patriarchy in Kerala,” said Suresh.

According to a statement, the book will delve deep into how patriarchal power structures work to enable sexual violence and how they attempt to control and manipulate the resulting narratives.

This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without any modifications.