Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala): Mollywood megastar Mohanlal, who has recently resigned from his position as the president of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA), gave his first public statements on Saturday during a press conference in Thiruvananthapuram. His comments were much awaited as no biggies from the Malayalam film industry have voiced in the wake of the Hema Committee Report, which revealed the atrocities against female actors in the film industry.
Mohanlal stated that his resignation from AMMA was done with the consent of all involved parties and that those accused of wrongdoing should be punished if there is factual evidence against them. He said, "I am not a member of the Power Group, and I do not know about it." He also commended the Kerala government for making the Justice Hema Committee report public, which has exposed numerous cases of sexual harassment and abuse within the industry. "Releasing the Hema Committee Report was a good decision by the government," he said.
While a quick response from Mohanlal was expected following the Hema Committee Report, the actor now clarified that he has not been avoiding any issues; he has simply not been in Kerala for a while due to his commitments with his upcoming directorial film Barroz. The release of Barroz, which was scheduled for September 12, has been postponed to October 10 because of the current issues. He noted that cinema is just a part of society, and what happens in other areas also affects the film industry.
The 64-year-old actor mentioned that he has addressed the Hema Committee twice and emphasised that AMMA is not a trade union. According to him, it is up to the entire Malayalam film industry to address the current problems. He pointed out that AMMA is often blamed for various issues, but the organisation is not responsible for everything.
He praised the Hema Committee as a positive step by the state government and viewed it as an opportunity for open discussion within the film industry. He suggested that similar committees should be established in other fields as well, and he sees the Hema Committee as a potential model for this. Mohanlal concluded by noting that a swift decision on the current allegations is not possible.
READ MORE
