Malayalam filmmaker Ranjith on Sunday stepped down as Kerala Chalachitra Academy chairman following allegations of misbehaviour levelled against him by a Bengali actor.
In an audio clip sent to a television channel, filmmaker Ranjith expressed his intention to step down from his position to prevent any negative impact on the reputation of the Left government in the state.
He also stated his determination to address the allegations against him through legal means.
Bengali actor Sreelekha Mitra alleged that the filmmaker made advances towards her during the pre-production of a 2009 movie, leading to calls for an investigation into her allegations by key LDF constituent CPI, after the Justice Hema Committee’s findings.
She recently claimed that the filmmaker behaved inappropriately during the shooting of a film he directed, a charge which Ranjith has refuted, asserting that he is the “real victim” in the case.
“The person concerned (Ranjith) is a big name in the Malayalam film industry and a national award-winning director. I went to his residence to discuss an upcoming film project, and I did not like his behaviour. He made certain advances subtly and I felt uncomfortable while we were discussing the script,” Mitra said.
“I don’t know if he has treated other female actors in the film industry in the same way. It is up to them to open up or not if they have faced a similar situation. Maybe his power and influence played a role for others to not speak out,” she added.
Ranjith resigned in the face of intense protests against him and the state government due to these allegations.
On August 24, the opposition Congress and BJP demanded his resignation, contending that he had no moral right to continue in his position.
Additionally, senior Malayalam actor Siddique resigned from the post of general secretary of AMMA in response to rape and sexual assault allegations, which emerged following the release of the Justice Hema Committee report exposing incidents of casting couch and sexual abuse in the Malayalam film industry.