Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala’s leading male actors have millions of adoring fans among Malayali communities across the globe, but back home they find themselves in a situation they are rather unaccustomed to.
Even as the issue of the mysterious abduction and abuse of a leading actress in April this year refuses to die down, the male-dominated organisation of Kerala film stars, which goes by the acronym AMMA, or Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes, is facing criticism over its stand on the issue.
The charge is that the association has been taking a stand that is in no way helping the cause of the victimised actress, even as the association’s president Innocent and others in leadership aver that members of the association consider the victim as one of their daughters.
More fingers were pointed at AMMA for its allegedly anti-victim stand after leading movie stars including actor-politician Mukesh reacted angrily when journalists queried them about allegations linking popular actor Dileep to the murky case. Mukesh’s outburst against media persons drew widespread criticism given that he is also a lawmaker in the state assembly.
Dileep, his friend and actor-director Nadir Shah, and his manager Appunny were quizzed by police officials for several hours at the Aluva Police Club on Wednesday and Thursday.
Reflecting the general mood against male domination in the artistes’ association, Communist Party of India Marxist (CPM) veteran M.A. Baby commented that the move by female artistes to form the Women in Cinema Collective was a heartening move.
Baby said the new industry forum was the latest indication that seismic changes were happening in what has traditionally been a male-dominated world.
Local media reported that the CPM cadres have also not been happy about the manner in which Mukesh has been defending Dileep, and that Mukesh’s behaviour towards media may come up during deliberations of the district committee of the CPM. Mukesh represents the Kollam constituency in the state assembly.
As emotions ran high against the attitude of male movie stars, Congress party workers in Kollam burned effigies of Innocent, Mukesh, and Ganesh Kumar, all of whom hold political office.
CPM parliamentarian P.K. Sreemathy, too, criticised AMMA’s stand. “AMMA says it will stand for the victim as well as the accused actor. How pitiable! Isn’t that a pro-male and anti-female stand?” she posted on social media.
