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After Siddique, Malayalam director Ranjith resigns as Kerala Chalachitra Academy chairman amid misconduct allegations by Bengali actress Sreelekha Mitra
Malayalam director Ranjith has stepped down from his position as the chairman of Kerala Chalachitra Academy following serious allegations made by Sreelekha.
Trigger Warning: This article includes references to sexual abuse.
Renowned Malayalam filmmaker Ranjith Balakrishnan has resigned from his position as the Kerala Chalachitra Academy chairman after Bengali actress Sreelekha Mitra accused him of misconduct. As per a report by Mathrubhumi, the director has formally handed over his resignation to the authorities in the government. Ranjith had earlier informed the members of Kerala Chalachitra Academy that he was considering resigning from his position amid such serious allegations against him.
According to the report, the Department of Culture has requested Ranjith to hand over his resignation. Also, the government number plate from his vehicle has also been removed following his decision.
For the unversed, Bengali actress Sreelekha Mitra hurled serious allegations against Ranjith amid the scrutiny of the Hema Committee report. On August 23, she accused the filmmaker of misbehaving with her during the shooting of the film Paleri Manikyam: Oru Pathirakolapathakathinte Katha back in 2009-10. The movie features Mammootty as the main lead.
Sreelekha revealed that Ranjith's inappropriate behavior towards her left her feeling distressed. The actress further shared that she felt unsafe spending the night at the hotel due to Ranjith's actions.
"It was traumatic, and I was not able to share the incident with anyone. After the incident, I spent the night in my hotel room in fear, thinking, what if people come and knock on my door? I was waiting for daylight," Sreelekha told Asianet News.
The actress further revealed complaining Ranjith with the help of documentary director Joshi. However, no action was taken against the renowned filmmaker.
Sreelekha continued to narrate her ordeal and said that she was not even provided with any tickets to return home and had to travel on her own following the incident. She also stopped getting any Malayalam film opportunities post that.
Nevertheless, Ranjith firmly denied these allegations. He addressed the regional media and revealed that the actress was removed from the film as she was not suitable for the role. It did not occur due to any wrongdoing on his part.
The news of Ranjith's resignation came shortly after Malayalam actor Siddique stepped down from his role as the General Secretary of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA).
The actor submitted his resignation to Mohanlal, who is the president of the organisation. Siddique decided to resign after actress Revathy Sampath accused him of sexually assaulting her in 2016 when she was just 21 years old.
Onmanorama quoted Revathy, "Siddique first contacted me through social media. Later, following the promotions of the movie 'Sukhamayirikkatte', he invited me to his hotel room. I was 21 years old then. He sexually assaulted me and even locked me inside the room. However, I managed to escape."
This was not the first time Revathy narrated her ordeal. Back in 2019, she opened up about the harrowing experience and raised her voice against Siddique.
Disclaimer: If you need support or know someone who is struggling with domestic violence or assault or abuse, please reach out to your nearest mental health specialist, NGO or speak to someone about it. There are several helplines available for the same.
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