Malayalam actress abduction: Uproar as actors' body wants Dileep's suspension revoked

KOCHI: After an actresses' organisation expressed its displeasure over the reinstatement of accused Malayalam actor Dileep's membership of the Association of Malayalam Movie Actors, political leaders have also slammed AMMA for the move.

Senior Congress MLA, P.T. Thomas, who was one of the first to know about the actress kidnapping case in February 2017, and had reached the victim's side before informing the police, told the media on Tuesday that AMMA should reconsider its decision on Dileep.

"It is now very clear that only a handful of the artistes were genuinely with the victim. Those leading lights who took part in the protest meetings held the next day of the kidnap attempt in Kochi, were only shedding crocodile tears.


"Not a single one of them was supporting the victim. It's now time for the Kerala Assembly and the state government to react," said Thomas.

Academics from across the country also slammed AMMA's decision in a statement, saying, This decision to take actor Dileep back into its fold shows the utter disregard AMMA as an association holds towards the survivor of a sexual assault."

Adding, "In such a crisis, instead of supporting the survivor, the association expressed its misogyny through a travesty, performed in its fund-raising fete, with Mammootty and Mohanlal- the superstars as its highlights, ridiculing the Women’s Collective that was formed to address women’s issues in the industry."

The Women in Cinema Collective (WCC), irked by AMMA's decision to revoke the suspension of Dileep who is an accused in the actress kidnapping case, had put out a Facebook post in Malayalam on Monday.

"If you have decided to revoke the suspension... what has changed after he was suspended?" the WCC asked AMMA-led by Malayalam superstar Mohanlal.

"Do you know that you have decided to take back someone who is alleged to have been involved in a rape and the trial is yet to finish... don't you feel anything at all?"

Hugely popular actress Rima Kallingal and her husband director Ashiq Abu were the first to voice their displeasure.

Many were surprised by the manner in which around 385 artistes of AMMA who met in Kochi last Sunday, did not utter a word when actress Urmilla Unni asked if Dileep will be reinstated. None spoke up or against it as Dileep was taken back into the fold.

In fact, AMMA members want showcause notices to be given to Dileep's former wife Manju Warrier, Parvathy, Remya Nambisan and Rima Kallingal of the WCC, who are also part of AMMA.

However, AMMA's general secretary Edavela Babu has maintained a silence.