Actor's arrest exposes industry

The police investigation of the abduction of and sexual assault on a woman actor in Kerala resulting in the arrest of a leading actor, Dileep, on conspiracy charges, has shown that the actual events in the film world are sometimes murkier than what some scripts have presented. The woman actor was attacked on a highway by a person who, according to the police, was engaged by Dileep who wanted to teach her a lesson for personal reasons. The attacker was a person with a long criminal history and had worked as a driver for many actors. The investigations are still continuing but the information which has come out shows that there is much more crime, misconduct and malpractices in the film world than has been imagined. Bollywood’s reputation in this respect has been tainted but the revelations confirm the idea that the regional film industry may be equally so.

It has come out that the film industry has extensive links with the underworld. Law-breakers and anti-social elements have infiltrated it in various guises like drivers, security personnel and real estate managers. Financial malpractices are rampant. There are cliques and lobbies which control all areas like production and distribution of films. Actors and other professionals who are not part of the ruling cliques are denied entry or harassed and persecuted. Arrested actor Dileep is known to have used his clout in the most unprofessional manner and influenced the decisions and activities of organisations representing different areas of the industry. There have also been reports of illegal activities like the use of drugs and their distribution. It is easy to see all this as a reflection of the gro­wing maladies in the wider society. But it is a matter of concern that even when these illegalities and malpractices occasionally came to the surface they were suppressed or were not pursued. The financial clout and connections and the high social status of those in the top echelons of the industry ensured this.

The professional and moral bankruptcy of the Malayalam film world was clearly exposed when the association representing the movie artistes failed to take a strong position in support of the woman actor. There were even attempts by some to question the character of the victim and to shield the suspect, even though he is technically innocent till he is proved guilty. The norms and laws that protect the rights of a woman were flagrantly violated. The Kerala case is as much about the problems of justice for a victim as the terrible state of the world of glamour.