#MeToo storm brewing in Malayalam films

The male matinee idols of Malayalam movie industry are a delusional bunch. They can also be arrogant and vainglorious.
So was Harvey Weinstein. But it took only a few beleaguered Hollywood actresses and their candid revelations to bring down the movie mogul. The once invincible Weinstein turned to dust and thus began a campaign against sexual harassment that has reverberated across the globe.
But in the South Indian state of Kerala, a clutch of leading actors helming a film association, ironically called 'Amma' (Association of Malayalam Movie Artists), prefer to bury their heads in the sand. These veterans, who have reigned over the industry for decades, are yet to get their big heads around ideas like women's empowerment and gender equality.
If the misogyny-spewing, onscreen machismo of these top-tier actors are cringe-worthy, their real-life stand on issues close to women, and female co-workers, in particular, are oppressively archaic.
Last year, when one of their female colleagues was abducted and allegedly raped in a moving vehicle in a plot allegedly masterminded by popular actor Dileep, Amma had no qualms in throwing its weight behind the accused and not the victim.
Many industry bigwigs like Mammootty, Mohanlal, Mukesh and Innocent either maintained sinister silence or expressed sympathy for Dileep. This blatant sexism even won them the collective adulation of their fans and peers.
Why should they care when the rest of the world is cheeringly lending its voice on women's issues? These worthy stars have, for the better part of their illustrious careers, enjoyed fealty from admirers. The Malayalam film industry thrives on nepotism and patriarchy, and has moved swiftly to muzzle voices that occasionally whine against male stardom.
But when you thought this to be the height of misogyny, the organisation stooped to new lows when it reinstated the accused actor, Dileep, last week. The 48-year-old was ousted from the association last year for his alleged role in the actress's rape and also for criminal conspiracy. He has been denied bail twice and a judgment is pending in the case.
Yet, in one fell swoop, the new President of Amma - no less than the honorary Lieutenant Colonel of the Indian Territorial Army, and two-time National Award winning actor, Mohanlal - laid bare his organisation's lack of sensitivity in a case that concerned their own woman member who was the victim in the case.
To make it worse, politicians from the state on both sides of the divide and influential actors, with a few exceptions, watched the proceedings as mute spectators. The dignity of the actress, who experienced much trauma, was the last thing on the mind even for a majority of female members of the actors' association who are only keen to protect their interests in the industry.
But four gutsy women actresses are rising in rebellion. They gave a public dressing down to this gaggle of male actors lording it over the Malayalam film industry. The actresses, including the victim, have resigned from Amma. In scathing Facebook posts, the victim and her friends - Rima Kallingal, Remya Nambeesan, and Geethu Mohandas - hit out at the male club for its 'injustice, patriarchy and betrayal'.
Four resignations, you may think, have no significance to an organisation that has hundreds of loyal members, but this could be just the spark the Malayalam film industry needs for its own #MeToo movement to gather momentum after it began in February last year.
Back then, for the first time in the history of Malayalam cinema an organisation to represent the interests and concerns of women in the movie industry - Women in Cinema Collective (WCC) - was formed to counter Amma's defence of Dileep, the accused actor.
Now, a tough battle awaits these plucky women who are challenging the status quo that tarnishes and shames the industry and the state. Whether they will survive unscathed is anybody's guess but the vindictive industry will do everything to cover its shame and hound them out. Powerbrokers will lobby to wipe these women off the silver screen and the fan club mafia will harass the daylights out of them.
What will be worse is if Kerala's 'progressive' society watches the show in silence. That could well slay a movement that has so much potential to change the face of the Malayalam film industry.
-anjana@khaleejtimes.com