The Women in Cinema Collective (WCC) on Saturday said it had lost faith in the leadership of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes (AMMA).
Actors Revathy, Padmapriya, and Parvathy said here that the executive committee of the association, led by president Mohanlal, betrayed them by deciding to postpone the issue of reinstating actor Dileep, accused in a actor sexual assault case, to the next general body meeting.
A meeting of the association’s executive committee here on October 11 decided that only the general body could take a decision on whether to review its earlier decision to reinstate the actor.
The three actors, who addressed a press conference at the Ernakulam Press Club, introduced themselves in reply to Mr. Mohanlal’s referring to them as “three actors” in his recent statement.
“It has now become clear that the leadership is with the accused and not the survivor. At a time when the nation and its film industries are swiftly moving to provide support to women coming and saying #MeToo, and distancing perpetrators, the association continues its apathetic stand to the survivor,” they said.
Stating that their fight was for justice, the three actors alleged that they faced accusations at the first 40 minutes of their meeting with the executive committee here on August 7. “The executive committee, which slipped into pin-drop silence, started hearing us only after we played an audio clip by the survivor.” They said the content of the audio recording could not be revealed.
“Instead of support, at all times, we have witnessed the executive committee members indulging in victim shaming, displaying utter disregard to the law of the land, taking actions that will influence the criminal case in question, constantly showing bias against the survivor, and publicly mocking women who have chosen to speak up. This shows that the association is against the interest of the women and is not a safe space to discuss HER issues,” they said.
The actors accused the executive council of the association of having handled the issue with extreme duplicity, in a callous manner with vested interests. “They have failed their members and the public who had demanded vociferously for justice. Instead of standing up for what is right, they have revealed the deep-seated misogynistic bias and have closed ranks on us,” they said.
Padmapriya termed their latest revelations as an “interval” and said more stories of injustice and harassment of women in the Malayalam film industry would come out in the coming days.
Ms. Revathy recalled that a young actor had came knocking on her doors seeking help from harassment. She refused to name the victim and the accused involved in the incident.
However, actor Archana Padmini, member of the WCC, joined the #MeToo movement when she alleged that production controller Sherin Stanely of Mammootty-starrer Pullikaran Stara had sexually harassed her. “I had submitted a petition before the Film Employees Federation of Kerala against him. But he continues to be active in the industry while I have turned jobless,” she said.
WCC members Beena Paul, Anjali Menon, Reema Kallingal, Remya Nambeesan, Deedi Damodaran, and Sajitha Madathil participated in the press conference.
