Mollywood split as Mollywood push back against the rush to reinstate Dileep
KOCHI: A swift pushback is emerging in the Mollywood against the urgency shown by major industry bodies to reinduct actor Dileep, who was acquitted in the 2017 actress abduction and assault case on Monday. Several from the industry, particularly women, have criticised the haste with which organisations signalled their willingness to reinstate the actor, terming it a betrayal of the survivor and a continuation of an unsafe culture within Malayalam cinema. Senior dubbing artist Bhagyalakshmi was among the first to react, resigning from the Film Employees Federation of Kerala (FEFKA) in protest. Bhagyalakshmi said the federations eagerness to welcome Dileep back clearly showed that the organisations will never stand with survivors. She said the major bodies were backing those with money and power instead of taking a principled stand. Scriptwriter and Women in Cinema Collective (WCC) member Deedhi Damodaran also questioned the sincerity of those claiming solidarity with the survivor while continuing to remain members of AMMA, the association the survivor had quit in protest. Real solidarity would mean stepping away from organisations that maintain status quo, she said. The backlash comes after FEFKA, the Kerala Film Producers Association, and the Association of Malayalam Movie Actors (AMMA), signalled support for Dileep within hours of the verdict. FEFKA general secretary B Unnikrishnan said the actor would be reinstated as soon as he submitted a request letter. Kerala Film Producers Association president B Rakesh echoed the view, saying there were no hurdles in taking Dileep back. AMMA, meanwhile, put out a post on social media welcoming the verdict. Actor abduction and sexual assault case: Judgment comes after eight years, justice not yet Actor-filmmaker Lal, a key witness in the case, said he was satisfied the accused had been convicted. He, however, declined comment on the conspiracy charge. I will continue to help the case at every stage, even in the Supreme Court if required, he said. Interacting with reporters after casting his vote in the local body polls in Idukki, actor Asif Ali said he welcomed the verdict and reiterated that the survivor must get justice. He, too refrained from making a detailed comment, citing contempt of court. As the industry recalibrates in the wake of the verdict, the divide between those rushing to reinduct Dileep and those insisting on standing firmly with the survivor has once again exposed the fault lines in Malayalam cinemas institutions. Actor abduction and sexual assault case: Conspiracy or not, many questions need answers
22 C
