Renji Panicker on sexual harassment in the film industry

Responding to allegations of sexual harassment in the Malayalam film industry, Panicker said the accused should be treated as innocent until the investigation is completed. He said the accused cannot be banned or expelled from the industry until the investigation confirms their crime.

Following the release of the Hema Committee report, allegations against actors Siddique and Mukesh have resurfaced. Recently, filmmaker Ranjith Balakrishnan resigned as the chairman of Kerala Chalachitra Academy after Bengali actress Sreelekha Mtira accused him of sexual harassment. The Hema Committee report revealed systematic abuse and sexual harassment in the Malayalam film industry.

Speaking to the media on Sunday, August 25, he said that such a practice of prohibition does not exist in a civilized society and no one can claim to have moral values.

“I represent a club [FEFKA]We resolve or try to resolve all the complaints we receive. My opinion here is not valid. The state government should consider legal action keeping in mind the nuances. If there is any truth in these allegations, it will attract punishment. You cannot stop a person from his creative activities like poetry, stories and films. You can boycott them but you cannot ban them. What should they do? Leave the country? They live in this society and will continue to do so,” he said, adding that the law will take its own course.

Strangely enough, Film Employees Federation of Kerala [FEFKA]of which Renji Panicker is a member and was once president, had expelled actors Shane Nigam and Sreenath Bhasi for alleged misconduct.

Renji Panicker also said that he did not believe that Principal Ranjith resigned from the post of Chairman of Kerala Chalachitra Academy due to any pressure but that it was done out of common sense.

On August 23, Bengali actress Sreelekha Mitra accused Ranjith of misbehaving with her during the audition for the 2009 Malayalam film. Paleri Manikyam: Oru Pathirakolapathakathinte Katha. The film, directed by Ranjith, starred Mammootty, Shwetha Menon and Mythili in the lead roles.

Noted Malayalam actor Siddique resigned from his post as General Secretary of AMMA on Sunday, August 25, after a young actor accused him of sexual harassment.

“Action should be taken based on the report, but it should not be a knee-jerk reaction. Such incidents are damaging to the integrity of all industries, especially cinema, which attracts a lot of public attention. There should be thorough investigations and justice should prevail,” Panicker added.

Meanwhile, the Kerala government on August 25 set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to conduct a preliminary probe into the allegations of sexual harassment made against several actors in the wake of the Hema Committee report.

The Justice Hema Committee was formed by the Kerala government in 2017 based on a petition by the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC) to study the challenges faced by women in the industry. In December 2019, the committee had submitted its findings to the Kerala government, but the report was only released recently. The report highlighted various issues ranging from sexual abuse and lack of grievance redressal systems to the unavailability of toilets for women on film sets.