Dubai: The #MeToo movement that's engufling the Kerala film industry is finally percolating to the Tamil cinema.
A few days after superstar Rajinikanth stated he was unaware of the recent developments in Malayalam cinema, following the incriminating findings of the Justice Hema Committee that pointed to widespread sex abuse in the Kerala film industry, actress Sowmya told NDTV that she was groomed and forced to be a ‘sex slave’ by a well-known Tamil filmmaker.
In an interview with the channel, she opened up about her troubled past and said that she was groomed from the age of 18. She chose not to disclose the identity of the director, but claimed she had already revealed those details to Kerala's Special Investigation Team (SIT), formed specifically to investigate such abuse cases among those working in the film industry. She claims she was groomed and raped, but it took her 30 years to get over the shame and heal.
Sowmya recounted that through connections made via her college theatre group, the filmmaker approached her father about casting her in a film. Although she felt uneasy from their initial meeting, she felt compelled to accept the role due to the director’s significant investment. After she displayed her reluctance, she was even told that the director's wife would be leading the project, but the reality was different because he continued to be in charge.
On set when she spurned his inappropriate advances, she experienced what she described as the director's "angry silent treatment," which made her anxious about displeasing him.
She further revealed that the director and his wife would often invite her to their home, where they would indulge her with food. She also spoke about how her resistance was followed by hostility and punishment.
"One day, when his wife wasn't around, this man, while calling me his daughter, kissed me. I completely froze. I was so desperate to tell my friends but couldn't. I was ashamed, thinking I had done something wrong and that I was obligated to be nice to this man," claimed Sowmya.
She also said that the directors's daughter, estranged back then, had accused him of rape and wasn't living with the director or his wife. She was led to believe that their daughter was lying.
Sowmya is one of the many women coming forward with their horrific tales of sexual misconduct while working in films.
In the Kerala film industry, the #MeToo movement has intensified following the release of the Hema report, which exposes a series of troubling allegations. The industry has been rocked by revelations of harassment, exploitation, and toxic male-led star cliques, leading to widespread scrutiny and calls for accountability. Prominent figures like Siddique, Jayasurya, Mukesh, and director Ranjith and lesser-known actors have been accused of sexual misconduct.
The survivors' stories seems to shed a light on the culture of abuse that has long been hidden and protected.
The ongoing turmoil has also sparked a broader discussion about the systemic issues within the industry and the urgent need for reforms to protect those involved.
