The abduction and rape of a leading actress in the Malayalam film industry—and the subsequent arrest of superstar Dileep—had shaken Mollywood like never before. The survivor’s unprecedented decision to pursue the case to its logical end created a stir across Kerala. The investigation into the 2017 incident took a dramatic turn when the police concluded that the attack was not a random act of violence, but part of a larger conspiracy meant to intimidate her. This line of inquiry eventually led to Dileep. After almost nine years and several twists in the trial, the Ernakulam Principal Sessions Court has now acquitted the actor-producer, the seventh accused, while finding the other six accused guilty. Shortly after his acquittal, Dileep claimed that a “conspiracy” had sought to pin the blame on him. The government, however, has decided to appeal the verdict in the high court and has assured the survivor of support until she gets justice.
The survivor’s courage and Dileep’s arrest were turning points for the Malayalam film industry in more ways than one. The sexually suggestive jokes passed off as slapstick comedy—a trademark of many Dileep films—began to recede. The industry ushered in a new wave of cinema that was more inclusive and appealed to a pan-Indian audience. The formation of the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC), which coincided with the case, helped shift long-skewed gender relations in the industry. The Hema Committee, set up to look into allegations of sexual harassment and violence, was another constructive outcome. That the survivor continued her cinematic journey instead of withdrawing from public view was an act of courage that inspired others facing similar ordeals.
While the WCC has vowed continued support to the survivor, the manner in which other industry bodies—including the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists and the Malayalam Cine Technicians Association—have responded to the verdict is worrying. Their swift decision to welcome the actor back into their fold is troubling, especially when the survivor is one of their own and an appeal is imminent. It is the responsibility of every progressive film lover to ensure that this verdict does not reverse the shift in power dynamics and film grammar that the case had helped bring about.