On Monday, the Kerala police lodged an FIR against filmmaker Ranjith, making the first such action following a series of recent sexual harassment allegations against male actors in the Malayalam film industry, popularly known as Mollywood.
The case was filed after Bengali actress Sreelekha Mitra submitted a complaint to the Kochi city police commissioner.
The complaint which was emailed to the police, accused Ranjith of inappropriately touching the actress with sexual assault intent after inviting her to act in the film Paleri Manikyam in 2009.
Kochi Police Commissioner S Syamsundar stated that a case has been registered under IPC Section 354 (assault or use of criminal force on a woman with the intent to outrage her modesty), according to a PTI report.
The Actress Details The Assault
On Saturday, Sreelekha Mitra accused Ranjith of making advances and behaving inappropriately during a script discussion that took place years ago.
She stated that the person in question, a prominent figure in Mollywood and a national award-winning director made her uncomfortable with subtle advances during their meeting at his residence to discuss a film project, as reported by PTI.
After the inappropriate behavior, the actor revealed that she declined to participate in the project and returned to Kolkata.
She added that she could not ascertain whether other female actors in the industry had similar experiences but suggested that his power and influence might have prevented others from speaking out.
Ranjith however, denied the allegations, claiming that he was the real victim in this whole situation.
Following the accusations, Ranjith stepped down as the chairman of the Kerala Chalachitra Academy
In an audio he explained that he did not wish to continue in the role s it could adversely impact the reputation of the Left government according to a PTI report.
Director Allegedly Sent Nude Photos
A man from Kerala, who previously accused Ranjith of sexual misconduct, has now alleged that the director allegedly sent his nude photos to actress and Women in Cinema Collective (WCC) member Revathi. The FIR against Ranjith, based on the man’s accusations, was filed earlier in the day.
According to a report by The Week, the main claim is the incident occurred in 2012, alleging Ranjith sexually harassed him, forced him to undress, and took photos. The man stated that Ranjith told him he was sending photos to Revathi.
In his complaint to the DGP, the man also alleged that Ranjith was under the influence of alcohol at that time. He recounted that while Ranjith made him stand naked, he was talking to an actress later revealing her name as Revathi. The man further claimed that Ranjith told him Revathi liked the photos.
The incident allegedly occurred during the location pack-up of the movie Bavittiyude Namathil, where Ranjith was present for the audio launch or a related event. Both Ranjit and Revathi have yet to respond to these allegations
Filmmakers and other actors Accused
Ranjith is not the only filmmaker entangled in the controversy amid the MeToo movement in the Malayalam cinema.
Since the release of the Justice Hema committee report earlier this month, there has been a surge in reports of sexual assault in Hollywood.
Numerous actresses have come forward with accusations against male industry figures for harassment
Actor Mukesh has been accused of rape and Jayasurya faces an FIR for sexual misconduct.
Actress Revathy Sampath alleged that veteran actor Siddique assaulted her when she was 21, prompting Siddique to resign from his role as AMMA’s general secretary and file a counter-complaint.
Actress Minu Muneer has accused Jayasuriya, Mukesh, Maniyanpilla Raju, Idavela Babu, Noble, and Vachu of sexual abuse.
Junior artist Baburaj faces accusations of sexual assault, which he claims is an attempt to prevent him from becoming AMMA’s general secretary.
Opposition Demands Resignations
Opposition parties have criticized the Kerala government over the growing number of sexual assault allegations against actors in the film industry, accusing it of protecting the predators.
Several opposition leaders have protested and called for the resignations of Ranjith and Siddique.
In response to mounting pressure, Minister Pinarayi Vijayan announced the formation of a seven-member special investigation team on Sunday to look into the sexual assault claims involving actors.
