Exclusive/ Muck in Mollywood: Actress Accuses Tamil Director of Rape and Enslavement

Muck In Tamil Cinema: Following the findings of the Hema Committee Report, a storm is stirred in Malayalam cinema. The 235-page report details the shocking systematic sexual abuse and misconduct faced by women artists in Mollywood. The ripples of the #MeToo uproar in Mollywood have reached other film industries as well. Several women from Telugu, Tamil, Kannada and Bengali cinema have revealed shocking instances of sexual assault they faced at work. In an exclusive conversation with Republic, actress Sujatha who goes by the screen name of Soumya has detailed horrifying details of abuse she faced in Malayalam and Tamil film industries.

Actress reveals shocking details of facing sexual abuse at the age of 18

The actress, who has worked in a handful of movies, shared spine-chilling details of going through the sexual abuse not just in Malayalam but also in the Tamil film industry. She claims to have left the industry due to ‘filth and abuse’. In an exclusive conversation, Soumya shared that the movie makers would give different instructions in the rehearsal take and final take in front of the camera. Recalling an incident, she shared, “Villain spat pan on my face. It was done without informing me. But secretly the men had decided it.” She also alleged that the crew in Malayalam would react differently to an incident that happened with her over a male co-star.

Detailing the instances of systematic abuse, she asserted how the male actors would hug her ‘tight’ while shooting for song sequences. She then described an incident that happened on the set of a Tamil movie. She recalled the director's wife persuading her to feature in the film by misleading her into believing the she would direct the film. She shared, “He treated me poorly. I was told she would direct the movie but he did it instead.” She claimed that the couple treated her like their “daughter”.

Soumya recalled, “I had to go to dance rehearsal and one day when she was not around. This man kissed after uttering I love you.” “I froze, I was ashamed," she continued.

Soumya accuses Tamil director of raping her, making her sex slave 

Recalling the spine-chilling incidents, the actress shared that at the time she had never been in a relationship or intimate with anyone. She revealed, "I have never had sex. One day he forced himself on me. I was in pain. He got angry. He raped me. He called me his daughter and also said he wanted to have a child with me." She asserted that the director isolated her and made her feel alone.
 

Claiming that she will first reveal the identity of the perpetrator to the police, she added, “A Tamil director made me his sex slave for 1 year.” Soumya shared that the incident jolted her, and affected all areas of her life. She recalled not being able to tell the truth to her family even 20 years after the incident. Breaking down in the middle the conversation, Soumya shared, “Three decades is not enough.”