Director Joshy Joseph Dubs #MeToo Wave In Mollywood A 'Crisis'

Malayalam filmmaker Joshy Joseph has responded to the ongoing #MeToo wave in Mollywood after his name cropped up in a controversy between Bengali actress Sreelekha Mitra and director Ranjith. The actress accused Ranjith of sexual misconduct and shared that she was "compelled to seek help" from Joshy after the incident.

I provided SIT with a detailed account of events: Joshy Joseph

In an interview with ANI, Joshy stated that after Mitra shared a post on her social media handle, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) visited him at his house and they spoke for three hours where he provided a detailed account of events. "I provided a detailed account of events from the beginning, as required under Section 161 of the IPC. I will also give another statement under Section 164 in front of the magistrate, which I intend to do. We are bringing Sreelekha Mitra on September 10. There is indeed a crisis in the Malayalam industry today, and we are being accused, rightly so," he told ANI.

Sreelekha Mitra filed a complaint against Ranjith for sexual misconduct

The actress filed the complaint with the Kochi  City Police on Monday against film director Ranjith, a day after he resigned as the chairman of the Kerala State Chalachithra Academy. In an email to the Kochi City Police Commissioner, Mitra detailed an incident from 2009 when she was in Kochi for discussions about a role in the movie Palerimanikkam, helmed by Ranjith. The actress claimed that during the discussion the director "clutched" her hand and attempted to touch other parts of her body.

"Realising that his intentions were not related to the film discussion but were of a sexual nature, I had to escape from the flat and return to the hotel where I was staying. I shared my bitter experience the next day with scriptwriter Joshy Joseph. As I was not provided with a return ticket, I was compelled to seek the help of Joshy Joseph," the actress added in her complaint.

Revealing why she didn't come forward after the incident, the actress said that being from Kolkata she was unfamiliar with the local legal process.

Another sexual misconduct case against Ranjith

On Friday ANI reported a male actor has filed a case against the director alleging sexual assault. He revealed that Ranjith forced him to strip naked and sexually assaulted him in 2012 and then offered him the money. The complaint said that he thought it was a part of the audition, ANI reported the Kerala police say. The actor has filed a complaint to the DGP and SIT will consider it.

Mollywood is facing a wave of #MeToo allegations after a redacted version of the Hema Committee report was published in public highlighting the atrocities of women in Malayalam cinema.