Kerala film scandal: Superstar Mohanlal resigns as AMMA president

Dubai: In a significant turn of events for the Malayalam film industry, South Indian icon Mohanlal, along with seventeen other executive committee members, has stepped down from his role as president of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA).

This collective resignation and the subsequent dissolution of the Mohanlal-led film body on August 27 come in the wake of mounting criticism over AMMA's response to sexual harassment allegations within the industry.

The actor claimed the resignations were a symbol of their collective “moral responsibility.”

"Following the release of the Hema Committee report and the subsequent sexual allegations against some officials of AMMA's administrative committee in various media outlets in print and visual space, the current AMMA administration takes moral responsibility and resigns," Mohanlal said in a statement on AMMA's official letterhead.

This move comes close on the heels of veteran actor Siddique, the General Secretary of AMMA, resigning on August 25 following allegations of sexual misconduct leveled by actress Rekha Sampath. The other members who have been accused of sexual misconduct include AMMA joint secretary Baburaj and AMMA vice-president Jeyan R.

An election to form a new committee will be held in the next two months, added Mohanlal in the statement.

“We are hopeful that AMMA will have a new leadership capable of renewing and strengthening ‘Amma’. Thanks to everyone for criticising and correcting,” the statement concluded.

Following the finding of Hema Committee on August 19, the Kerala film industry has been shaken by allegations of sexual abuse, casting couch, powerful groups dictating the industry.

In the last few days, several actresses have stepped forward to speak up about the sexual misconduct of prominent actors. Actress Rekha Sampath has claimed that veteran actor and former General Secretary of AMMA, Siddique, had sexually abused her "physically and mentally".  She had spoken about the sordid episode in 2019, but was emboldened to speak again after the damning observations made by Hema Committee on August 19.

While Siddique, who resigned as General Secretary following the allegations, has denied her claims and filed a police complaint against the abuse survivor, several other talents have named and shamed their alleged predators including Jayasurya, Edavela Babu, Baburaj, and director Ranjith Balakrishnan.

Following the avalanche of sexual abuse claims, the Kerala Government has now formed a seven-member special investigation team to look into this grim matter. 

Actress Minu Muneer has also lodged a complaint with this team against four actors Mukesh, Jayasurya, Edavela Babu, Maniyanpilla Raju, and two other technicians accusing them of physical and verbal abuse. She claims she was abused on the sets of a movie in 2013.

While several actors including Prithviraj and Tovino Thomas have spoken up, supporting survivors, in the last few days, top actors like Mohanlal, Mammootty, Fahadh Faasil, and Dulquer Salmaan have maintained a stony silence on the #Metoo storm taking over the Malayalam film industry.

In an earlier interview with Gulf News in 2019, Mohanlal and the then-president of AMMA labelled the rousing #MeToo movement against sexual assault and harassment in the film industry as a short-lived ‘fad’.

“There’s no big problem in the Malayalam industry … You shouldn’t think of the #MeToo as a movement actually. It’s a fad and it’s turning into something of a fashion. Anything like that will have a lifespan for a bit,” said Mohanlal that time.

He also claimed he didn't know much about any occurence of sexual misconduct and went onto trivialise it. 

"We [men] can also come out with a #MeToo, gender-wise. I cannot make a comment on that. Only when you experience something like that, you can make a comment on it. Just giving a comment on it isn’t the right thing. I don’t know much about it [#MeToo]," he said in that interview.

But the scenario is entirely different today. The Malayalam film industry is currently grappling with the impact of the #MeToo movement, as key industry figures like Siddique and Mukesh face allegations of sexual misconduct following the release of the Hema Committee findings.

Actors Tovino Thomas and Prithviraj have publicly addressed these allegations, advocating for accountability and reforms within Malayalam film industry.

“If there are allegations being made, then a thorough investigation should be conducted, and if the accused are found guilty, then those perpetrators should be held responsible, and a strict punishment should be meted out … That’s the only end to curb this scourge,” said Prithviraj at a press conference in Malayalam.

Barring a few bold voices, actors such as Fahadh Faasil, Dulquer Salmaan, and Suresh Gopi maintain a stony silence.

Union Minister and actor Suresh Gopi even schooled the local media in Kerala about asking him burning questions about the Hema Committee findings and the sexual abuse claims. He blasted them for daring to do their job and accused the media of trying to grab headlines.

While Gopi’s outburst happens on the sidelines, the recent revelations have sparked a call for accountability and systemic change in an industry long plagued by silence and cover-ups.