Malayalam director Ranjith Balakrishnan has faced sexual allegations again, months after the ‘Me Too’ movement in the Malayalam cinema. According to PTI, a 31-year-old male actor filed a complaint against the director in Bengaluru. He alleged that the filmmaker sexually assaulted him in December 2012 after inviting him to a hotel room- on the pretext of an audition.
According to News18, the complainant first Ranjith during a film shoot in Kozhikode. The filmmaker reportedly got the complainant’s contact number and invited him to a hotel near Kempegowda International Airport in Bengaluru. The director allegedly sexually assaulted him after offering the alcohol.
The police are currently investigating this case. More details are awaited. Meanwhile, the complaint was earlier filed in Kerala but the case was transferred to Bengaluru. A senior police official told PTI, “The complaint was initially filed at a police station in Kerala, but the case was transferred to Bengaluru as the alleged assault occurred here. An FIR has now been registered.”
Earlier, Sreelekha Mitra accused Ranjith of making advances and misbehaving with her during a script discussion years ago. She stated that Ranjith, a well-known national award-winning director in the Malayalam film industry, subtly made advances that made her uncomfortable while they were discussing an upcoming film at his residence, according to PTI.
The actress said that after Ranjith’s inappropriate behavior, she declined the project and returned to Kolkata. She mentioned that she is unsure if other actresses in the industry have experienced similar situations, suggesting that his power and influence might have kept them silent.
Ranjith later resigned as the chairman of the Kerala Chalachitra Academy after facing these accusations.
