Breaking her silence over alleged sexual harassment and career sabotage, Malayalam Actress Minu Muneer has accused co-stars Mukesh, Jayasurya, Maniyanpilla Raju, and Idavela Babu of sexually assaulting her. Babu is a prominent leader of the Association of Malayalam Movies Artistes (AMMA).
She also alleged that she suffered sexual misconduct from a two-time CPI(M) legislator in the Kerala Assembly. However, actor Raju has demanded a probe into the allegations by Muneer. The other three actors have not responded to her claims. Speaking to the media, Muneer announced her intention to complain with the state police team investigating the revelations of the Hema Committee report.
#WATCH | Kochi, Kerala | Malayalam actor Minu Muneer accuses co- stars of sexual harassment, she says, “..Once as I was coming out from the toilet, Jayasurya hugged me from behind and even kissed me forcefully…After that, Idavela Babu expressed his interest in a sexual… pic.twitter.com/jE9N57hdwX
— ANI (@ANI) August 26, 2024
Allegations Against Prominent Figures
The Malayalam actress alleged that an actor tried to assault her in a hotel during the filming of her movies- ‘Calender’ (2009) and ‘Nadakame Ulakam’ (2011). She described an incident where he made inappropriate advances towards her. Mollywood Actress pointed out a series of incidents involving abuse by a production controller during a 2013 movie project. Additionally, Muneer recounted several other incidents which forced her to leave the Malayalam film industry and relocate to Chennai.
Speaking to ANI, she said Actor Jayasurya assaulted her once. She alleged that he forcefully kissed and hugged her from behind when she was coming out of the toilet. She mentioned encountering horrifying experiences with Mukesh, Maniyanpilla Raju and Idavela Babu as well.
Governor of Kerala Reacts On Hema Committee Report
Reacting to the incident, Kerala Governor Arif Mohammad Khan said that he doesn’t want to comment as he does not deal with the subject. He added, “I would like to trust what the chief minister has said, that if the victims come forward and they file a complaint against those perpetrators, then the process of law will be set in motion…”
‘Me Too’ Allegations In Malayalam Cinema
The chilling Hema Committee report unveiled the dark realities of the Malayalam Cinema Industry. Released on August 19, 2024, the report of the three-member Justice Hema Committee sheds light on the horrifying sexual harassment faced by women in Mollywood. The report was released with limited information, five years after its submission to Kerala CM Pinarayi Vijayan. The Hema Committee was created, following the sexual harassment of an actress in a moving car by five men in Kerala’s Kochi in 2017.
