Malayalam megastar Mammootty has finally spoken out about sexual misconduct against numerous male industry members, including those affiliated with the Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes (AMMA), nearly two weeks after the Justice Hema Committee report was made public and numerous survivors came forward with similar accusations. Mammootty said in a lengthy social media post that he was holding off on reacting until after AMMA released their official statement. He also disproved the claim that Malayalam cinema was dominated by a power group.
“This post is regarding the developments that the Malayalam film industry is currently witnessing. The organisational process is that first, the leadership will react. I waited this long because I believe that I, as a member, should comment only after such official responses,” he wrote.
“Cinema is a reflection of the society: all the good and bad in the society is in the movies too. The film industry is something that the society pays close attention to. Hence, all things happening there, small and big, will become topics of big discussions. Film personnel need to be careful and vigilant so that nothing untoward happens in this realm,” he asserted.
“The Justice Hema Committee was formed by the government, after something unfortunate and untoward happened, to study the film industry and prepare a report to suggest solutions and recommend measures (to prevent the same),” he noted, recalling the 2017 actress assault case.
“We wholeheartedly welcome and support the recommendations and solutions outlined in that report. It is high time that all associations in the film industry join hands without distinction to implement them. The police investigation is proceeding vigorously on the complaints that have been raised. The full version of the Justice Hema Committee report is before the court. Let the police investigate honestly. Let the court decide the punishments,” he added.
Mammootty also denied that a power group was controlling the sector, despite what the study claimed. “There are no ‘power groups’ in cinema. Cinema is not a place where such a thing can exist. The practical recommendations mentioned in the report should be implemented and if there are legal hurdles, necessary legislation should be enacted. Ultimately cinema must survive,” he added.
