The Malayalam actress Sowmya has alleged that a Tamil filmmaker sexually assaulted her. In a recent interview, the actress claimed that the director had ‘groomed’ her as a sex slave and kissed her once while his wife was away. Sowmya admitted that she felt “obligated” to act in one of his films but confessed that she wasn’t comfortable with him even after their first meeting.
Sowmya, however didn’t mention director’s name
Despite not mentioning the director by name, the actress stated that she planned to disclose his identity to the special police unit established by the Kerala government, which is investigating claims of sexual misconduct in the entertainment sector.
One day, while his wife was not present, this man referred to me as his daughter and kissed me. I was totally paralyzed. “I was filled with desperation to inform my friends, but I couldn’t… I felt ashamed, believing I had committed a mistake and that I had to be kind to this man,” she shared with NDTV.
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‘It continued for almost a year during my college days’
I kept practicing and attending dance rehearsals daily, allowing this man to exploit my body little by little. At one time he coerced himself upon me… thus, he sexually assaulted me. She asserted that it continued for almost a year during her time in college.
Sowmya alleged that despite being referred to as his ‘daughter’ by the director, he mistreated her and attacked her. “It took me three decades to overcome and heal from this feeling of ‘shame’… I urge survivors to report any abuse they experience,” she stated.
Accusations surface at a time when Hema Committee Report have created havoc in south cinema
The accusations have surfaced during a period in which numerous instances of sexual assault within the Malayalam film sector have caused widespread shock throughout the country.
The beginning occurred when the Justice Hema Committee Report findings were released earlier this month. At present, nine film personalities, including Mukesh, Siddique, Jayasurya, Edavela Babu, Nivin Pauly, Maniyan Pillai Raju, directors Ranjith, V. K. Prakash, production executives Vichu, and Noble, have been charged in FIRs filed by women actresses.
