Allegations of sexual abuse rock Kerala's film industry

Accusations. Resignations. Complaints to the police.

These words have dominated the headlines since last week and are causing turmoil in the thriving film industry in the southern Indian state of Kerala.

The state has witnessed a flood of allegations of sexual abuse against some top male stars since a landmark report on the problems facing women in the industry was published. published last week.

The industry, which produces around 150 to 200 Malayalam films annually, is a vital, dynamic business that produces some of the most successful critically acclaimed and progressive cinema coming from India.

But the 290-page report by a three-member panel known as the Hema Committee details the problems faced by women in Malayalam cinema, including poor working conditions and rampant sexual harassment. Parts of the report have been redacted to conceal the identities of the survivors as well as those accused of harassment.

Since the film's release, numerous women – some of whom have since left acting – have spoken publicly about facing sexual assault and harassment in the industry.

More than a dozen police reports have been filed against some male stars, and two of them have also filed counter-reports.

The restructuring was so major that the entire top governing body of the state's largest film group – the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA) – was dissolved after its president, superstar Mohanlal, resigned on “moral grounds” after facing allegations by some members.

“This is just the tip of the iceberg. Few have spoken out so far. There could be more serious problems,” actress Mala Parvathy told BBC Hindi.

The reaction to the first-of-its-kind report is being closely watched by people in India's numerous film industries, including Bollywood. During the #MeToo movement, several women in different states had made allegations of sexual harassment against actors and filmmakers, but few of them were investigated.

The government set up the Hema Committee in 2017 under the leadership of a former judge of the Kerala High Court after the shocking Sexual assault on a leading actress. One of Kerala's biggest actors, Dileep, has been named as an accused by the police and charged with criminal conspiracy. He has denied the charges but was arrested and kept in custody for three months before being released on bail. The case is still being heard in court.

After the report was published, the first public allegation was made by Bengali actress Sreelekha Mitra, accusing well-known director Ranjith of sexually harassing her several years ago. He denied this but resigned from his post as chairman of the state's prestigious film academy. Mitra filed a complaint with the police.

Many of the other complaints reflect some of the revelations made by unnamed women in the Hema committee report that they were repeatedly asked to make “compromises” and “adjustments” in exchange for opportunities.

Minu Muneer told BBC Hindi and several other news channels that an actor hugged and kissed her without her consent during the shooting of a film. She also described cases of sexual misconduct by others in the industry, including well-known actor and politician Mukesh.

Mukesh denied the allegations against him and accused Muneer of trying to blackmail him.

“I welcome any investigation into the allegations made against me and others in the film industry,” he wrote in a Facebook post.

Two actresses have accused a director of knocking on the doors of their hotel rooms in the middle of the night. He has not responded to the accusation.

An actress has accused well-known actor Siddique of raping her in 2016 and filed a police complaint. Siddique, who resigned as AMMA general secretary following the allegation, denied the allegations and accused the complainant of trying to “tarnish his reputation”.

While the Kerala government was praised for being the first to set up such a committee, the publication of the report also put it on the defensive.

The report, submitted in 2019, was only released last week, after a delay of almost five years and numerous complaints from members of the film industry. The government said at the time that while it would investigate all complaints made to the police, it would not take on cases on its own. But as pressure mounted, it set up a special team to investigate the complaints.

The Kerala High Court also asked the government to submit the entire report, including the redacted 54 pages.

Within the Malayalam film industry, the reaction to the report was mixed, with superstars like Mohanlal and Mammotty being criticised for not making any public comment.

Some actors welcomed the release of the report and called on the government to launch a proper investigation into the allegations. A prominent film workers' union called on the government to disclose the names of those accused in the report.

Others complained that the report was being used to brand all men in the industry as abusers.

However, many also argue that the report and the subsequent restructuring are positive, much-needed changes in an industry often celebrated for its progressive films.

“I don't think it's OK when people say, 'The Malayalam industry is so rotten inside'. No, we are fine inside, so we are fixing it,” actress Parvathy Thiruvothu, a founding member of the Women in Cinema Collective, an organisation formed after the 2017 attack, told a news channel.

It is the sectors “that you don’t hear about” that people should “be worried about,” she added.

Additional reporting by Meryl Sebastian in Delhi