Revathy Sampath reveals disturbing details of alleged assault

Actress Revathy Sampath has publicly accused prominent Malayalam actor Siddique, who also serves as the general secretary of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA), of sexual misconduct.

The allegations, made by Sampath, have sent ripples through the Malayalam film industry.

In an interview with Indian news agency ANI, Sampath detailed her troubling experience with Siddique began when she was in her late teens.

She described how Siddique initially approached her through a seemingly fictitious social media account. "I got in contact with actor Siddique during my 10+2 time. He used to message me from an account that looked fake and he was in contact with me for two years and used to address me as 'daughter'. He got to know that I am interested in acting and he is a criminal and he must have planned everything," she said.

Sampath detailed how Siddique's professional demeanour took a disturbing turn.

She said during a meeting under the pretence of discussing a film opportunity, Siddique's behaviour allegedly became aggressive.

"Everything looked professional at first...after some discussion, all of a sudden his conversation turned sexual and by the time I realised it was a trap, the door was locked...I was helpless and I was scared," she said.

Sampath said Siddique physically assaulted her and allegedly threatened to damage her career if she spoke out about the incident.

"I had sought help but I did not receive any support. Nobody was there. No support groups were there for me...It's not like I haven't moved legally against this, I did move legally once. But I can't do it again. If you can give assurance that they can give us security and we don't have to pay the price of our dreams, then we can come forward," she said.

"I am ready to come out with all the evidence. He sent messages on Messenger and WhatsApp...but do we have such security? I am still coming back to track on my career," Sampath added.

Siddique is known for his roles in more than 300 Malayalam films and several Tamil productions, including Jana and Bhaskar Oru Rascal.

The allegations come at a tumultuous time for the Malayalam film industry, which is already grappling with the fallout from the Justice Hema Committee report.

The report, which was released to the public on August 19, highlighted systemic issues within the industry, particularly concerning the treatment of women.

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