JOIN USMohanlal must fulfill assurances: Kerala govt
The Kerala state government has sought from AMMA measures to redress grievances in a case where a woman actor was sexually assaulted.
This comes a day after members of Women in Cinema Collective (WCC) criticised the leadership of Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes (AMMA)— whose president is actor Mohanlal— over its noncommittal response in the case.
Minister for Culture A K Balan said on Sunday that Mohanlal should fulfill assurances given to the woman members in a time-bound manner.
Actors Revathy, Rima Kallingal, Parvathy and Padmapriya, film editor Beena Paul and filmmaker Anjali Menon led a press conference on Saturday in Kochi where they said that WCC had lost faith in AMMA.
AMMA has faced criticism for extending support to actor Dileep, accused of conspiracy in the assault case, while choosing to distance itself from the survivor.
The WCC members have stated that they would keep the fight alive till the survivor gets justice.
The actors’ association is yet to officially respond to the accusations.
Actor Baburaj, one of the office-bearers of the association, said on Sunday that the women’s collective worked with an “agenda” to distance the survivor from the actors’ association.
On the same day, the WCC members were targeted through trolls and hate messages, including from those who claim to be “fans” of Mohanlal, on social media.
Balan said that the government would intervene if opinions are countered through hate campaigns on social media.
The latest face-off is traced to AMMA’s decision to reinstate Dileep, a move the WCC says exposes the association’s bias.
The AMMA leadership maintains that possibilities of reviewing the decision to reinstate Dileep can be discussed only at a general body meeting.
A popular woman actor was abducted and sexually assaulted in a moving car in Kochi, in February last year.
Police arrested key accused Sunilkumar aka Pulsar Suni and later, Dileep for reportedly hiring Suni for the assault.
Dileep, after being remanded for 85 days, was released on bail.
Trial in the case is yet to commence. While keeping a low public profile in the wake of the case, Dileep continues to work in big projects and has had a blockbuster success in Ramaleela, released in 2017.