Malayalam superstar, Mohanlal, was recently in Dubai to promote his new film, Drama. When asked about Association of Malayalam Movie Artists’ (AMMA) despicable skit at an award function last year that made fun of the Women In Cinema Collective (WCC), and his views on the #MeToo movement, the president of the film body said: “There’s no big problem in the Malayalam industry… you shouldn’t think of the #MeToo as a movement actually. It’s a fad and it’s turning into something of a fashion. Anything like that will have a lifespan for a bit.”
This is only a few months after the association reinstated actor Dileep, in spite of being accused of abetting the kidnapping and sexual assault of a female colleague. After many contemporary actors from different industries, including Kamal Haasan, criticised AMMA’s inefficacy in the matter – the accused actor chose to resign from the association, pending investigation.
Shortly after the press conference, Mohanlal spoke to the Gulf News Tabloid where he said, “It [sexual misconduct] can happen anywhere in life, not just in films”, refraining to speak further after claiming to ‘not be an authority’ on the subject.
The premier association for artists in Mollywood, AMMA, has set a disappointing precedent for upholding the safety of the workplace for women. Younger stars like Dulquer Salmaan have also sided with the body, that would rather mock WCC members instead of assuring a safe workplace. Mohanlal had previously also been quoted as saying that the WCC members ‘needn’t apologise’ and could come back and join the AMMA via due process if they felt like it.
Comprising actors including Parvathy, Rima Kallingal, writer/director Anjali Menon, the WCC members have repeatedly appealed to put an end to the rampant misogyny in mainstream Mollywood films. Parvathy initiated the conversation by voicing her opinion on superstar Mammootty film, Kasaba, and its regressive dialogues. This led to the actor becoming a target of cyber trolls, something the members of WCC have repeatedly faced.
To dub an international movement that has unmasked several predators across several industries from all over the world a ‘fad’, doesn’t paint a very hopeful picture for the AMMA. It’s probably the right time to give up hope for anything progressive to come out of AMMA in our lifetime, at least.
