After effects of Hema Committee Report: Sexual harassment charges prompt resignations of Ranjith and Siddique

Online Desk

Kerala State Chalachitra Academy chairman and noted filmmaker-actor Ranjith has stepped down, days after he was accused of sexual harassment on August 25, 2024.

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Bengali actress Sreelekha Mitra raised allegations of sexual misconduct against Ranjith.

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Sreelekha Mitra said that she would not come to Kerala leaving her work in Bengal and file a complaint. She asked the govt to take up the matter on her behalf.

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Ranjith was reportedly forced to resign after the allies in the LDF maintained that the raging controversy would affect the image of the Left government.

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Veteran Malayalam actor Siddique also resigned from the post of Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA) general secretary, on August 25, 2024.

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The resignation comes a day after actress Revathy Sampath, who had levelled serious allegations against Siddique in 2019, reiterated that he had sexually abused her.

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According to Revathy, Siddique contacted her using a fake social media account under the guise of discussing a film project in 2016, when she was 21 years old.

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"He's a criminal. He subjected me to sexual assault for an hour. He asked me to come to Hotel Mascot to discuss the offer. I was caught unawares when he asked me immediately whether I was ready for adjustments. When I expressed shock, he became explicit in his demands saying that his sexual fantasies include women with long nails," Revathy said.

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Senior actor and AMMA vice-president, Jagadeesh on Friday said that the revelations in the Hema committee report deserved to be investigated adding that the incidents shouldn’t be ignored just because they weren’t reported to AMMA.

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Actress Ansiba, an executive member of AMMA, told TNIE that the incidents are not isolated. “Several women have come forward, and there may be more who haven’t spoken out. We can’t dismiss these as isolated incidents,” she said. “Exploitation should not be tolerated in our industry, where people enter with passion. We promote positive messages through our films, and women should not face harassment.”

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AMMA has come under scrutiny after the release of the Hema Committee report which detailed systemic violence and discrimination against women in the Malayalam film industry.

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Several women in the industry have been coming out and sharing their experiences of facing abuse and discrimination since the release of the report.

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Facing mounting pressure following allegations of sexual harassment against key members of the AMMA, its president, actor Mohanlal, has stepped down from his position, on August 27, 2024.