‘Ultimately movie must survive…’: Mammootty cites 2017 actress assault case in first speech on #MeToo in Mollywood

#MeToo in Mollywood: Actor Mammootty has broken his silence amid the ongoing #MeToo wave that rolled off after the Justice Hema Committee report revealed sexual, physical, and verbal abuse in the Kerala film industry. Hitting out at the allegations of a ‘power group’, megastar Mammotty in a lengthy social media post said that there is no "no power centre" in the Malayalam film industry.

A fortnight after the Justice Hema Committee was published, megastar Mammotty has denied the presence of any 'power group’ within Mollywood, and has asked the court to decide on punishments for those found guilty of the allegations. “There are no ‘power groups’ in cinema. Cinema is not a place where such a thing can exist. The practical recommendations mentioned in the report should be implemented and if there are legal hurdles, necessary legislation should be enacted. Ultimately cinema must survive,” the Malayalam film actor said.

His remarks followed a statement by Mohanlal, another leading actor in Malayalam cinema, who had declared the previous day that he was neither part of any power group in Mollywood nor aware of any such group.

Mammootty also stated that he would await an official statement from Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes (AMMA) regarding the ongoing #MeToo movement before making any comments himself.

Recalling the 2017 actress assault case, Mammotty said, “How can such a thing survive Jagamalla movie. It is requested to implement the practical recommendations in the Justice Hema Committee report and if there are legal obstacles, the necessary legislation should be carried out. Ultimately the movie must survive”.

On February 17, 2017, a leading Malayalam film actress was abducted and sexually assaulted in a car by a group of men, which sparked outrage across Kerala and brought under the scanner the discriminatory treatment faced by women in the Malayalam film industry.

On Facebook, Mammootty said, “In order to prevent anything unpleasant from happening in this scene, filmmakers should be careful and be cautious."

“The Justice Hema Committee was formed by the government to study about the film industry, prepare a report, suggest solutions and recommend actions after something that never should have happened. Universally welcomes and supports the suggestions and solutions mentioned in that report. It is time for all the associations in the film industry to stand together without separations to implement them.", Mammooty noted.

“We wholeheartedly welcome and support the recommendations and solutions outlined in that report. It is high time that all associations in the film industry join hands without distinction to implement them. The police investigation is proceeding vigorously on the complaints that have been raised. The full version of the Justice Hema Committee report is before the court. Let the police investigate honestly. Let the court decide the punishments,” Mammotty concluded.