Pressure mounts on Malayalam director Ranjith accused of 'misbehaviour' by Bengali actress

Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 24 : Pressure is mounting on prominent Malayalam film director Ranjith to step down as the Chairman of the state-run Kerala State Chalachitra Academy (KSCA) after Bengali actress Sreelekha Mitra accused the filmmaker of behaving with her in an inappropriate manner.

Mitra, a popular face in the Bengali film and television industry, accused Ranjith of misbehaving with her when she went to meet the director at an apartment in connection with the latter's film ‘Paleri Manikyam: Oru Pathirakolapathakathinte Katha’ in 2009, which made her feel 'uncomfortable'.

The director has strongly denied the allegations.

The charges against Ranjith have created an uproar as it came in the wake of the Hema Committee report which was made public recently, exposing 'rampant sexual abuse' in the Malayalam film industry.

Ranjith is known to be close to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, and according to sources, the latter had reportedly backed him earlier when he was caught in a tiff over alleged wranglings in the KSCA.

Meanwhile, leaders of the opposition Congress and BJP have now joined the growing clamour seeking Ranjith's resignation as the KSCA chief.

In fact, Annie Raja, senior CPI leader and the wife of the party's General Secretary D. Raja, too has asked Ranjith to quit and come clean.

CPI is the second biggest ally in the LDF-led state government, which fielded her as a candidate in the recent Lok Sabha polls from Wayanad where she lost to Congress' Rahul Gandhi by over 3 lakh votes.

Meanwhile, a section in the ruling CPI-M also feels that in the wake of the Hema Committee report that has become a burning issue in the state, it will be good if Ranjith quits as KSCA Chairman given the way the report flagged rampant sexual abuse allegedly prevailing in the Malayalam film industry.

However, Cultural Affairs Minister Saji Cherian on Saturday strongly defended the filmmaker, saying, “Ranjith has said that he is innocent. If anyone has a complaint, it should be given in writing so that a probe can be conducted. He (Ranjith) is a hugely popular artiste and nothing should be done just on the basis of a statement. A mere allegation won’t suffice, there has to be a written complaint and then only a probe can be launched. Without that, nothing can be done. What if the allegation turns out be wrong?”

Kerala State Women’s Commission Chairperson and former CPI-M MP P. Sathidevi said she has only heard about the issue through media, and she will seek a report on it from the state government.

On Saturday, Ranjith's official car was spotted at a private resort in Wayanad where Youth Congress workers assembled and raised slogans demanding his resignation. Later, the official vehicle of the KSCA was seen moving out of the resort.

The police have now decided to provide security cover at the director's residence in Kozhikode.

Meanwhile, Veteran director Badran said that it would be best if Ranjith quits as KSCA chief since the charges levelled against him are serious, adding that he could always return once cleared of the allegations.

Earlier, recalling the incident that allegedly took place at Kochi in 2009, Mitra said that she had gone to an apartment where she met Ranjith and other members of his team to discuss a role in the film ‘Paleri Manikyam: Oru Pathirakolapathakathinte Katha’ .

During the discussions, Ranjith reportedly made advances towards her, causing her discomfort.

She left the place immediately after conveying to one of Ranjith's team members that she would not be part of the project, Mitra said.

"I do not want to go down there and submit a complaint because I have work here. The least I expect is an apology,” Mitra said.

Ranjith has vehemently denied the allegations, saying Mitra was only called for an audition.

With the Congress-led Opposition accusing the Pinarayi Vijayan government of shielding the guilty in the wake of the revelations made in the Hema Committee report, the latest charge against Ranjith has further complicated matters for the state government.

With even the Kerala High Court dropping enough hints that the delay in releasing the Hema Committee report -- which was submitted in 2019 -- by the Vijayan government cannot be brushed away, all eyes will be on the court when it takes up the matter for hearing on September 10.