Director Alleppey Ashraf has claimed that a founding member of the WCC (Women in Cinema Collective) had not told the Hema Committee, that studied the working conditions of women in the Malayalam film industry, about a bad experience she had to face. In a video shared on YouTube, Ashraf said that the incident took place in a hotel room in Alappuzha.
“The female actor reached the place for film shooting. During her stay in a hotel, the actor showed some kindness towards a room boy hailing from Kuttanad. However, when the actor was alone in her room one night, the boy took the spare key from the counter around midnight and entered the room. He sat on the bed where the actress was sleeping and observed her for some time, enjoying the sight.
Then, the boy touched her gently. But the actor woke up and screamed on seeing his face. The boy panicked and fled from the room and the actor followed him, shouting. By that time, everyone in the hotel woke up and called the police. The police arrived soon and took the room boy into custody. He was even thrashed at the police station. An FIR was also prepared which I have read,” said Ashraf.
However, there was a twist in the tale soon, said Ashraf. The actor said that she wanted to withdraw her complaint and close the case. She told everyone who knew about the incident not to make it public. “The actor feared a loss of her reputation and did not speak about the incident even before the Hema Committee,” he said. Ashraf said that the WCC is engaged in a noble mission. “A group of leading female actors took the initiative to identify actors who suffered harassment, neglect and pain in the Malayalam film industry and encouraged them to testify before the Hema Committee. WCC has the support of the society. But a founding member of the collective remained silent about her own experience. She even said that she was not aware of any such incident in Malayalam film industry,” said Ashraf.
At the same time, the volte-face by the actor shocked people in the Malayalam film industry, he said. “Even the Hema Committee report mentions that this actress could not be trusted,” said Ashraf. Those leading an organisation should set an example for others to follow. But this actor has defeated the purpose of the WCC, said Ashraf and called for a revamp of the group.
