Malayalam cinema battles misogyny as #MeToo gains ground in other industries

New Delhi: The final word on actor Dileep’s membership in the Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes remains unclear. Dileep, who was been accused in the abduction and sexual assault case of a fellow actor in February 2017, is part of an industry that was the first to raise its voice against sexual misconduct within the broader film fraternity by the formation of a women’s collective but lags much behind other industries in taking a firm stand against the same today. More recently, even while Bollywood actors like Aamir Khan and Akshay Kumar have clearly expressed their unwillingness to work with accused perpetrators as the #MeToo movement gains ground in the media and entertainment industry rapidly, AMMA refuses to budge. “WCC started speaking much earlier but seems to have made the shortest progress,” said filmmaker Anjali Menon, member of the WCC in Kerala referring to the formation of their association nearly a year-and-a-half ago. “I think this stems from a certain conservatism in the industry where things are set into power patterns and we are seen as disruptive forces disturbing an ecosystem comfortable to those who control it.” Menon said the actress’ abduction by Dileep was not the first instance of sexual assault in the industry, but a kind of tipping point for sure.