Exclusive/ Prithviraj Worked With Rape Accused: Bro Daddy Junior Artist Says Director Overlooked Her Complaints

A junior artist working on the set of Prithviraj Sukumaran's directorial Bro Daddy (2022) has revealed gruesome details of rape and blackmail he was allegedly subjected to at the hands of an assistant director of the film.

The alleged victim accused Mansoor Rasheed of "spiking her drink" and raping her. She claimed that she had already registered a case against Rasheed in 2023. She also shared that Rasheed "indirectly threatened" and harassed her friends and relatives. The alleged victim shared that the director of the movie, Prithviraj was aware of this and went on to work with Rasheed in two other films. 

Junior artist shares details of alleged rape and extortion

In an interview with Republic World, the victim shared harrowing details of sexual abuse she faced at the hands of Prithviraj's assistant and a timeline of events. She shared that the incident took place while the team was well into the shoot.

“I was given sprite. I fell dizzy. When I woke up I found myself nude. There was sperm in my body. I woke up at 11 pm to find myself nude. I called friends who asked me to vacate the hotel I called my husband and vacated my room at 1 am,” she claimed. 

She also accused Mansoor Rasheed of extorting ₹6 lakh from her and threatening to release her compromising photographs. She shared, “Before that, he blackmailed me and took 6 lakhs from me. He took photos of me. Warned me that my photos will be circulated.” The junior artist confirmed paying him the desired money. She also claimed that she lodged a complaint at the Hyderabad police station in this matter in 2023. 
 

Prithviraj Sukumaran continued to work with Mansoor Rasheed  
 

The alleged victim also shared that despite her complaint, the Hyderabad police did not take action. She added that accused Mansoor Rasheed was released on anticipatory bail. She shared, “I went from pillar to post after that. I came to know my relatives were harassed by people who were in the film industry. I filed a complaint with the commissioner in Hyderabad. Two policemen were sent for investigation. On June 20 2023 they reached Kerala. They couldn't find Mansoor.”

She also mentioned that her lawyers were "threatened" by local CPI (M) members. She added that she has now given the details of the case to the Special Investigation Team (SIT), which was formed by the Kerala government to probe #MeToo cases in light of the Hema Committee Report findings. 

The junior artist claimed that everyone in the industry knew about the alleged rape. She mentioned Prithviraj's name and claimed that her complaint was not taken seriously by him. “Actor Prithviraj knows about it. After this, this man has worked in two other movies. I saw a photo of Prithviraj sharing a photo of Mansoor in a location in Ladakh. I was shocked to see that they didn't even take my complaint seriously,” she said.

“I was traumatised. I had to take mental trauma treatment. I complained to the FEFKA directors union. I shared everything including the complaint with the Women's Commission. No help came from Malayalam film industry. I am hoping for justice from the SIT,” she concluded.