In the wake of recent sexual assault allegations against prominent figures in the malayalam film industry, actress manju warrier has expressed her views on social media. Her comments come after actor siddique and director Ranjith resigned from their respective positions amid the controversy surrounding the hema Committee report.
On Instagram, manju warrier shared a post stating, “Let’s not forget this all began because one woman had the gumption to fight.” Her statement reflects the broader impact of the allegations, which have led to significant repercussions within the industry.
The controversy began when actress Revathy sampath accused Siddique, the general secretary of the Association of malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA), of sexual misconduct. Sampath, recounting the incident from when she was 21, alleged that siddique abused her during a film discussion and sent inappropriate messages on Facebook. siddique has since resigned from his position as AMMA’s general secretary, a move confirmed by AMMA vice president Jayan Cherthala.
Similarly, filmmaker Ranjith stepped down as chairman of the kerala Chalachitra Academy following accusations of misconduct from bengali actress Sreelekha Mitra. Ranjith stated that his resignation was intended to protect the reputation of the state’s Left government, though he plans to contest the allegations legally.
In response to the Justice hema Committee report, AMMA acknowledged the report's findings but rejected claims of powerful groups and dismissed the allegations of casting couch practices.