Actor Mohanlal has stepped down as president of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA) following the Justice Hema Committee report and sexual harassment allegations involving some executive committee members. All executive members, including Mohanlal, have resigned. Mohanlal informed Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan of his decision via a letter.
After the Justice Hema Committee report was released, some AMMA members called for those accused of sexual harassment to resign from their key roles. More actresses have since come forward with complaints and allegations, revealing discrimination and harassment against women in the Malayalam film industry. The government has established a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the issues faced by women in the industry.
The Kerala Police announced that the SIT, which has been reinforced with additional female officers, held a meeting at the police headquarters on Tuesday. "All related cases registered at local police stations will be transferred to the SIT for further investigation," according to a Kerala Police statement.
On August 26, Malayalam film actor Minu Muneer accused several co-stars of sexual harassment, including actors M Mukesh, Jayasurya, Maniyanpilla Raju, and Idavela Babu, alleging verbal and physical abuse during movie shoots. Muneer detailed her experiences and the challenges she faced, including being denied roles and labeled as "worthless," in an interview with ANI.
These allegations surfaced shortly after director Ranjith and actor Siddique resigned from their positions in AMMA due to accusations against them. Earlier this month, a redacted version of the Justice Hema Committee report on harassment in the Malayalam cinema industry was made public, containing disturbing accounts of harassment, exploitation, and mistreatment of women professionals.
