Malayalam director Ranjith Balakrishnan has been booked for sexual assault - based on a complaint filed last week in Bengaluru by a 31-year-old male actor - as the #MeToo wave continues to sweep the Kerala film industry after the release of the Justice K Hema Committee report was released.
The actor alleged he was sexually assaulted by the filmmaker at a five-star hotel in the city.
He said he first met Ranjith in Kozhikode (Calicut) when the director was shooting the Mammootty-starrer 'Bavuttiyude Namathil'. The male actor has claimed Ranjith invited him to the hotel near Bengaluru's Kempegowda International Airport in December 2012 - on the pretext of an audition - and then sexually assaulted him; the filmmaker allegedly forced the man to strip in exchange for a prominent role in his movie. The man said he thought stripping was part of the audition.
READ | Actor Details Sex Assault In Ranjith #MeToo Case, Thought It Was Audition
A three-time National Film Awards winner, Ranjith, 60, has also been accused of sexual assault by a Bengali actress who filed a complaint with the Kochi Police Commissioner. Kochi police have registered a case based on her complaint, which alleges she was assaulted in a city hotel.
Ranjith has denied the allegation, explaining he had called the actress - Sreelekha Mitra - for an audition for the movie 'Paleri Manikyam' but sent her back after deciding she was not suitable.
In her complaint - sent via email - Ms Mitra alleged Ranjith touched her inappropriately, with sexual intent, after inviting her to act in the movie. This was in 2009.
Ranjith, who was then the Chairman of the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy, quit after tremendous pressure on Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and his government by the opposition.
Congress leader VD Satheeshan, also the Leader of the Opposition, and the BJP's state boss, K Surendran, had both demanded Ranjith's resignation from the academy.
Rape and assault allegations against senior Malayalam actors and film directors have been pouring in since the Justice Hema Committee report was released in August. Multiple cases have been filed against top actors, including Mukesh, who is also a lawmaker with the ruling CPIM.
READ | Kerala MLA Mukesh Arrested In Malayalam MeToo Row, To Be Freed
Mukesh was arrested late last month; he had, however, secured anticipatory bail. He has been charged with offences including the use of force against women with intent to outrage her modesty.
A day later another top Malayalam film industry figure, Edavela Babu - actor and former General Secretary of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes, or AMMA - was arrested in a rape case.
READ | Malayalam Actor Edavela Babu Arrested In Rape Case
The uproar over these and other cases led to the dissolution of the AMMA Executive Committee that was led by top actor Mohanlal, who said the panel was taking "moral responsibility" and had dissolved itself "in light of allegations made by some actors against some of the committee".
READ | Mohanlal Quits As Malayalam Film Body Chief Amid #MeToo Storm
The flood of sexual assault and rape allegations also found echoes in neighbouring Tamil Nadu, after popular actor Sowmya accused a Tamil director of horrific mental, physical, and sexual assault.
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