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While West Bengal remains at a standstill with protests still going on against the brutal rape and murder of a Kolkata woman doctor, Kerala has given birth to its own #MeToo wave – and it looks like it’s here to stay. The safety and dignity of women has been a topic of discussion for decades, but not many revelations and upheavals have achieved what Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey did with their Hollywood exposé in October 2017. The Hema Committee report, whose findings were made public earlier this month on August 19, appears to have a similar local impact for the Malayalam film industry.
Several high-profile people have resigned from their posts following the revelations of systemic abuse against women in Mollywood. Actor Siddique resigned as the general secretary of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA) on August 25, followed by Malayalam filmmaker Ranjith’s resignation as the president of the Kerala Chalachitra Academy the same day. FIRs have been filed against both and Siddique has filed a counter complaint as well.
Yesterday, on August 27, the entire executive council, including AMMA president Mohanlal elected for 2024-2027, resigned en masse, leading to a de facto (temporary) dissolution. The main reason cited for this was ‘moral responsibility’.
Many were surprised by the silence maintained by Mohanlal and other stalwarts like him such as Mammootty. In particular, all eyes were on Mohanlal, who holds a prominent position as AMMA president. The mass resignations brought some relief to the veteran actor. However, a 2019 interview with Gulf News Dubai that resurfaced on the internet almost immediately after, has shocked most with his dismissive stance on the basic spirit of #MeToo.
What did Mohanlal say?
An excerpt from a 2019 interview is doing the rounds on the internet in which Mohanlal was specifically asked to comment on the then ongoing global #MeToo movement. He replied, “We can also come out with #MeToo. Gender-wise, we should also start #MeToo” and then laughed. When asked what he meant, Mohanlal asserted his stance, saying, “Nothing. I don’t know. See, I can’t comment on that because when you experience, only then you have to talk about it. Otherwise just commenting is not the right thing to do”. Despite the global expansion of the movement, Mohanlal very candidly admitted that he doesn’t know much about it. In the same interview, when specifically asked about the conduct of AMMA, presumably in relation to the 2017 sexual harassment scandal in which actor Dileep was implicated, his answer was again “I don’t know”, followed by filler statements about “bigger things coming up” in the near future.
In a different excerpt from the same Gulf News interview, which is not in the resurfaced video, Mohanlal calls #MeToo a passing phase, with people embracing it just because it was ‘in fashion’ at the time. “There is no big problem in the Malayalam industry… You shouldn’t really think of #MeToo as a movement. It is a fad and it is becoming a kind of fashion. Anything like that has a lifespan for some time,” the excerpt reads.
Fast forward to 2024, it’s safe to say that unlike most things, this too will not come to pass.
What is the internet saying?
Most of the comments below the video, which is now circulating, express that Mohanlal’s huge legacy and acting skills are nothing if it’s his thoughts when it comes to something so important. Some of the reactions expressing this are: “@mohanlal you definitely seem to be one of them. You’ve just wasted everything you’ve earned. Please disappear. You’re not needed anymore” and “His body language, smiles and repeated denials of the horrific sexual misconduct with his female colleagues are enough evidence to make him equally guilty of the crimes. His acting ability can be left behind”.
Another clear theme in the way people viewed his responses is that they are shocked by his lax nature in talking about the subject. Some samples are: “Disappointed by Mohanlal’s indifference”, “What is this callous response from an industry veteran like Mohanlal? Very disappointing” and “Ugly man. Shows the frustration men experience when asked moral questions. The rot runs really deep”.
There were some people who were really hurt to hear the actor’s stance on the movement. One such comment read, “It hurt on many levels to hear these words from Mohanlal’s mouth. I have respected him a lot since childhood. But what a monster he is 😢”.
Coming back to what is currently going on, all is not lost when it comes to the country’s well-known acting icons. Actors like Nani, Prithviraj Sukumaran and Vikram have on different occasions expressed their disappointment and disgust at the findings of the Hema Committee report and the situation that followed.
Mohanlal is yet to comment on this newly surfaced controversy.
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