My Views on the Actress Assault Case Verdict

My Views on the Actress Assault Case Verdict

It started out as a normal night on February 17, 2017 when an actress was wrapping up shoot. She was planning to head back home. Suddenly a car came from behind and a group of people abducted and assaulted her. That night turned into a harrowing incident in the history of not just Mollywood but also that of the society in Kerala. 

She filed a case against the criminals and then got such huge backing from the women of Mollywood who decided to form an organization named Women In Cinema Collective. Suddenly a twist arrived when one of the criminals named Pulsar Suni had a letter addressed to Actor and business tycoon Dileep who is termed as a powerful insider. This twist was a shock for the entire fraternity and marked his arrest. So many of his films were under scrutiny for the misogyny that has been hidden in the name of comedy.

Dileep was not just arrested but also suspended. But the newly elected body of Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA) reinstated Dileep who was set free. This was a setback for women members who decided to quit in protest. The decision to reinstate Dileep, the alleged mastermind shows that Dileep's star power could be enough to silence the public. 

The case suddenly discovered a twist in the tail when a director named Balachandra Kumar came forward with allegations against Dileep who accessed the assault footage many times. This showed that there was a whistle blower even in tough times. Dileep's career took a nosedive post the scandal but he still had such a clout which was too powerful to resist. He had a coterie of yes sir friends in his fanbase. 

And then, came the biggest shocker. The Hema Committee Report was released on August 2024 and had opened up a pandora's box of untold abuse tales that named people like Ranjith Balakrishnan, Thulasidas, Jayasurya, Nivin Pauly, Siddique and Mukesh. That was enough to cause a rift inside AMMA and its entire body got dissolved. The WCC termed the result as a pyrrhic victory. 

The Incident reached its breaking point this month when the verdict was announced; Pulsar Suni and the others were convicted on charges of assault while Dileep the alleged mastermind was acquitted. Dileep was a free man but displayed his true character as a villain by blaming his ex-wife Manju Warrier along with the Kerala Police.

In My Opinion; Kerala witnessed the Weinstein Effect take place. I feel that ultimately the truth will come out soon. But I say it as a son of a mother and as a brother of a sister, No woman deserves to be assaulted in any kind of workplace environment, be it cinema, stage or business. Misogyny will no longer be tolerated. 

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