Mammootty and Mohanlal are two cinematic luminaries whose celluloid images are imprinted in the minds of Malayalis, thanks to their longevity in the industry, wide array of roles essayed and their sheer acting prowess that’s nothing short of world class. Over the years, they have built a huge legion of fans and though the two actors are good friends the fan camps on either side fiercely protect their respective turfs with all their strengths online.

But the Hema Committee report that came out in August, which brought out the sexual misconducts in the Malayalam movie industry, sent shock and awe across society and the two superstars were found wanting in their responses. While neither of them has any allegations levelled against them yet, many of the leading actors in the industry including the general secretary of Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA), Siddique who’s such an influential figure in the industry, the actor with the most family-man image Jayasurya and actor-politician Mukesh are all on the backfoot following sexual harassment allegations made by various actresses. Prominent director Ranjith and few other actors like Maniyan Pilla Raju, Baburaj and Edavela Babu are also embroiled in the sexual atrocity allegations.

Mohanlal, who recently resigned as the President of AMMA following immense pressure, could not answer most questions while fielding questions from the media. His press conference came way too late after many alleged that he didn’t want to come out in the open to defend the industry. Mammooty remained largely invisible throughout, minus a statement denying the presence of any power group in Malayalam cinema.

The reel images created by the two stars over decades have been severely dented by their lack of proactiveness during this period. It’s a reminder to all fans that real life can throw curve balls more difficult to handle than those on silver screen. Suresh Gopi, the BJP MP from Thrissur, Kerala, who was once labeled as a superstar along with Mammootty and Mohanlal, has not been forthcoming too. Gopi, with his fiery action hero image, has not been able to face questions from the media and has resorted to verbal aggression on occasions to keep them away.

A sharp contrast with WCC

This is in sharp contrast with the firm stand taken by Women in Cinema Collective (WCC), which has been instrumental in getting the Hema Committee report out in the open. The courage shown by many of the junior artists (both men and women) who have come out in the open with the sexual harassment allegations has been exemplary. Ever since allegations against actor Dileep surfaced many years ago, (which ended up in him spending a few months in jail), following complaints by a leading actress who has been paired opposite him in many movies, the Malayalam industry has been embroiled in controversies of such nature.

At the time, AMMA had called for a press conference where actor Mukesh did most of the talking. It was probably the first time that one saw both Mohanlal and Mammooty keeping a studied silence. For a movie goer who has grown up on a diet of Lal/Mammootty movies, that was a sight difficult to erase from memory. For the first time they didn’t look like the strongmen they portray on screen.

There has been a growing sense of a ‘power group’ within in the industry, a fact corroborated by the Hema Committee report. AMMA itself, many believe, has assumed mafia like proportions. If your rub AMMA the wrong way, survival becomes a difficult act. Even legendary actors like Thilakan have been victims of such high-handedness. AMMA, a body which was originally formed as a welfare organization to support the artists, has become some sort of a ‘punishing’ system. Director Aashiq Abu has pointed out the lack of democratic values in many of the movie organisations, including FEFKA (Film Employees Federation of Kerala).

This is where Mammooty and Mohanlal, with their deep influence in the sector, could have controlled things better. There are members with criminal records in AMMA and many of them adorn top positions in the organization without any track record to speak of. WCC, on the other hand, is a collection of strongly opinionated female actors and directors who have been fighting for equal rights in the industry for a long time. The dichotomy is stark.

However, there are many who believe that Mammootty and Mohanlal have their limitations in the matter. The cases against some of the actors are being investigated by the police and the courts have to decide on the matter. Some people in the industry feel that it is unfair to drag these great actors into this mess. But Mohanlal as the President of AMMA had the moral obligation, which led him to resign. It was the manner in which he resigned along with the rest of the committee members that was seen as escapist. A few of the members expressed their displeasure about being forced to resign when they had done nothing wrong. Mammootty’s silence in matters of grave industrial importance, over the years, has been surprising considering his moral authority in the sector. The Malayalam movie industry has always looked up to him in every way, but he hasn’t shown the leadership that’s expected from him.

Is it time for change in AMMA?

A generational shift has to happen in terms of approach and attitude. There’s a voice building within the industry wanting the new generation of actors to take over AMMA. Prithviraj Sukumaran, Tovino Thomas and Parvathy Thiruvothu are seen as those who could come into the forefront though it’s unclear whether they would want to do it at this point. Prithviraj has been a strong voice in the industry wanting to create a just and equitable platform for everyone. He has been voicing his thoughts without fear of the consequences and to his credit has been going from strength to strength despite the hostility towards him from many quarters. But today he is a huge star with a successful production house and his detractors have not been able to curb his growth. Prithviraj had once openly spoken about certain forces that tried to slow his pace down.

The significant fact is that all of these controversies have happened during a golden period in Malayalam movies. For over 15 years, the industry has been churning out high quality movies one after another (the list too long to name here and naming just a few would be unfair to the others). The OTT revolution has ensured that Malayalam movies are now seen across India, and other markets have been stunned by the quality of movies coming out of Kerala.

It has to be pointed out that the Hema Committee report with its damning allegations is yet another forward-looking step taken by the state, trying to clean up an industry long known for its harassment methods. It’s time for the Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Hindi and other language industries to set up a committee to probe into sexual harassment controversies and come up with a similar report. Given the size of the other movie industries, the consequences are bound to have greater ramifications. It’s time.

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