Actor Siddique, former general secretary of AMMA, addressing the media in Kochi on August 23, 2024.
| Photo Credit: Thulasi Kakkat
An emergency meeting of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes (AMMA) scheduled in Kochi on Tuesday (August 27, 2024) has been postponed amidst growing revelations by women about the sexual harassment and misbehaviour they had faced in the past in the Malayalam film industry.
The meeting has been postponed citing “inconvenience” of the association president and senior actor Mohanlal who is reportedly in Chennai. The emergency executive meeting was scheduled on Tuesday after actor Siddique, general secretary of the association, had submitted his resignation on Sunday (August 25, 2024) following allegations of sexual assault levelled by actor Revathy Sampath.
Actor Baburaj, joint secretary of the association, confirmed that the executive meeting has been postponed. “A new date will be announced later after mutual consultations within the committee,” he said.
He denied the allegations of sexual assault levelled by a young actor against him on Monday. She had alleged that the actor had misbehaved with her at his residence in Aluva, Ernakulam, after inviting her to participate in a discussion regarding a new film.
Mr. Baburaj said he was not staying in Aluva in the year 2019 as mentioned by her. “I was staying in Munnar in 2019. I had started staying at my house in Aluva only from 2020. I had not called anyone by claiming that a discussion with directors and technicians of a film can be done at my home,” he said.
Mr. Baburaj blamed a few “within the association and outside” of trying to derail his chances of becoming the secretary of the actors’ body in the wake of the resignation of Mr. Siddique. “I will take legal action against those raising such baseless allegations,” he said.
More allegations
After the revelations of Bengali actor Sreelekha Mitra and Ms. Revathy Sampath that led to the resignation of filmmaker Ranjith and Mr. Siddique respectively, actor Minu Muneer said in a Facebook post that she had suffered and physical and verbal abuse from actors Mukesh, Maniyanpilla Raju, Edavela Babu, and Jayasurya.
She said the incidents happened in 2013. “As a result, I was forced to leave the Malayalam film industry and relocate to Chennai. I am now seeking justice and accountability for the trauma and suffering I endured,” she said.
Mr. Maniyanpilla Raju rejected the allegations, while pointing out that more such allegations will surface for “monetary gains” and from those who could not gain roles in movies as they expected.
Mr. Mukesh, Mr. Edavela Babu, and Mr. Jayasurya were not available for comment.
