KOCHI: As the skeletons keep tumbling out of Mollywood’s cupboard after the release of the Hema Committee report, the fact remains that stories of exploitation and harassment are not new in the industry. Hidden in the woodwork of Mollywood are many dark secrets. In the past, going back to the ‘70s and the ‘80s, many such stories have come out against those wielding power in the industry.
However, with no support or avenue for the victims to reveal their tales of harassment and exploitation, many young and promising actors resorted to suicide, overcome by depression and humiliation.
It is alleged that Vijayasree, who worked in the Malayalam film industry in the ‘70s, was the first casualty of the exploitation. She was known as the Marilyn Monroe of the Malayalam film industry. However, she ended her life at the age of 21 in 1974. The allegation is that she might have taken the extreme step after being blackmailed and pestered for sexual favours by a leading producer and director of that time.
It is also alleged that an incident of a wardrobe malfunction that led to her being filmed nude during the shooting of a film, and the eventual inclusion of the scene in the movie even after Vijayasree urged the director to delete it, humiliated her. The 2011 film Nayika, directed by Jayaraj, which ends with the heroine suffering a wardrobe malfunction, is said to be loosely based on Vijayasree’s life.
Another name that pops up is that of actor Shobha. She died by suicide, and the reasons that led her to it — at the age of 17 — remain a mystery. A popular version attributes her death to her relationship with a leading director.
Ironically, the very industry that is now weathering the brunt of the ‘MeToo’ allegations had in 1983 highlighted the same through K G George’s film Lekhayude Maranam Oru Flashback, which was loosely based on the life and death of actress Shobha.
It is also ironic that the film Thirakatha, which is based on the tragic life of actor Srividya, who was exploited by many, was directed by Ranjith who now stands accused of sexual harassment.
G P Ramachandran, a film critic, said there were rumours in the ‘70s and ‘80s about the exploitation in the industry, but those incidents were not reported. “The reasons behind the deaths of several actors remained mysterious. But none raised these issues. There is no evidence either,” he said, adding that the same industry used to produce progressive films as well. Another actor who ended her life following years of exploitation from those in the industry was Silk Smitha. She too died by suicide, in 1996. After her death, her suicide note made headlines as it revealed how she was used by many to reap gains.
In the note, Smitha said: “Lots of people used my body. Many have taken advantage of my work. I do not thank anyone except Babu. For the past five years, someone has been saying that he would give me a life. Do you know how much I longed for that life? But when I realised that it was all just words, I was exhausted. I can’t stand it anymore.”
Another scandal that rocked Mollywood was actor Jagathy Sreekumar being named one of the accused in the Vithura case, in which a 16-year-old girl was abducted and raped by many persons, in 1996. Though he was later acquitted, following lack of evidence to prove his involvement, it caused huge damage to the reputation of the comedian and the industry.
The incident that led to the formation of the Hema Committee was the most infamous case of sexual assault in Mollywood, which happened in 2017. The incident adversely affected the career of the survivor, who went off the big screen for five years. The actor was abducted and reportedly sexually assaulted by a gang of men in a moving vehicle when she was returning from a shoot. Later, it was revealed that actor Dileep had a connection with the case and he was arrested by the police after being named in the chargesheet. The case is still in court.
In 2018, when the #metoo campaign was at its height, veteran actor KPAC Lalitha had opened up about how male dominance and exploitation of women in Mollywood existed way before the time of such campaigns and existence of collectives. She revealed a negative experience she faced at the hands of comedian Adoor Bhasi in an interview given to a news channel. She described how she lost chances in many movies because she refused to yield to the wishes of Adoor Bhasi.
“Those were the times when he had great power in the industry, something even actor Nazir didn’t have. I was told I would be given opportunities if I lived according to Bhasi’s wishes. When I refused, he spewed abusive words and even though I tried to lodge a complaint, I ended up getting scolded by actor Ummer who was the secretary of Chalachitra Parishad,” said Lalitha in the interview.
On the prevalence of such issues in the film industry worldwide, C S Chandrika, writer and activist, said, “These issues have existed in film industries across the world. In Malayalam films, we have seen the suicide of a few actresses in the ‘80s and ‘90s. However, there were no thorough investigations. It was mostly because women weren’t courageous enough to speak up. Even if they attempted suicide, nobody raised questions.”
Actor Sheela, who played the lead female characters in the ‘70s, however, said she never faced exploitation or harassment. “I haven’t faced any such harassment from the industry during my time in the ‘70s,” she said.
According to Chandrika, women in theatre too were vulnerable. “Women in theatre too were exploited. They had to compromise. P K Rosy had to leave Kerala for having acted in a film. There were no feminist forums or groups to question such violence and exploitation. The industry is controlled by men. So, they either left the industry or suffered and even attempted suicide,” she said.
The dark side of limelight
Vijayasree, known as the Marilyn Monroe of the Malayalam film industry, died by suicide aged 21 in 1974
The 2011 film Nayika directed by Jayaraj, which ends with the heroine suffering a wardrobe malfunction, is said to be loosely based on Vijayasree's life
Actor Shobha ended her life at the age of 17 in 1980. It is alleged that her tumultous relationship with leading director Balu Mahendra as the reason
K G George's film Lekhayude Maranam Oru Flashback was loosely based on the life and death of actress Shobha.
Film Thirakatha which is based on the tragic life of actor Srividya, who was exploited by many, was directed by Ranjith who now stands accused of sexual harassment.