Sexual abuse in Malayalam film industry: Actor Charmila accuses producer of sexually assaulting her 27 years ago

Amid the ongoing row over sexual exploitation in the Malayalam film industry, another actor, Charmila, has accused a film producer of allegedly sexually assaulting her around 27 years ago.

According to a report by CNN-News 18, Charmila said: “I had a traumatic experience in the Malayalam film industry. It was during the shoot of ‘Arjunan Pillayum Anchu Makkalum’. We had to shoot a song in Pollachi in Tamil Nadu. After the three-day shoot wrapped up, the production manager asked me to meet the producer before leaving. I asked my assistants to come along as I don’t go alone anywhere.”

However, the assistants were stopped by the manager from going along with her, but she still took her assistants along, Charmila added.

“When I went into the producer’s room, seven to eight of them were drinking. One of them pounced on my assistant, trying to take her saree off and the other moved towards me. My male assistant tried to stop him, and he was beaten,” she further said.

“Meanwhile, another guy grabbed my hand. I bit him and ran outside the hotel and asked for help. A group of autorickshaw guys came to my rescue. With their help, I called my father who reached out to Kalaignar’s wife Rajathi Ammal and the police arrived,” the report quoted Charmila as saying.

The Malayalam actor claimed that she had lost 28 films because she refused to “adjust”, a code word to ask for sex in return for work in films.

Narrating another incident, she said: “Malayalam director Hariharan met me along with actor Vishnu. We had coffee, discussed the script and he (Hariharan) sent me off in a nice way. Later, he called Vishnu and asked him to tell me to “adjust". Vishnu told Hariharan that I won't “adjust" and both of us lost the movie offer.”

Praising theTamil film industry, Charmila said that it is better and the Nadigar Sangam provides a safe environment for women artistes.

“In my experience, the Tamil industry is better and the Nadigar Sangam is willing to do their best and protect actresses,” she said.