Director Balakrishnan under investigation for alleged sexual abuse of actress

The Kerala police, on Monday, registered a case against director Ranjith Balakrishnan after Bengali actress Sreelekha Mitra accused him of sexual abuse. On Sunday, Ranjith resigned from his position as chairman of the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy in the light of these sexual allegations.

Ranjith has been charged under Section 354 of the Indian Penal Code for assaulting or using criminal force against a woman with the intent to outrage her modesty. Mitra submitted her complaint via email to the Kochi City Police Commissioner earlier in the day.

The investigation will be led by Coastal Superintendent of Police G. Poonkuzhali. The probe team plans to record statements from both Mitra and director Joshy Joseph, who is listed as a witness, as soon as possible.

The alleged incident occurred in 2009 at DD Flats, Kadavanthra, Kochi. Mitra came forward with her allegations following the publication of the Hema Committee report. She claims that during a discussion about the film Palerimanikkam, Ranjith, who had invited her to his flat, tried to sexually assault her.

In her complaint, Mitra recounted, “I was invited to discuss a role in Palerimanikkam. During this discussion at his flat in Kaloor-Kadavanthra, he clutched my hand and attempted to touch me inappropriately. Realising his intentions were not related to the film, I fled the flat and returned to my hotel.“

Mitra also mentioned that she confided in scriptwriter Joshy Joseph and had to seek his help for her return journey as she was not provided a ticket. Ranjith resigned from his position as Chairman of the Kerala State Film Academy on Sunday amid protests from the Opposition.

The Hema Commission report, was released by the Kerala government on 19 August 2024 after a five-year wait, stated that sexual exploitation is rampant in the Malayalam film industry, and that women are asked to “compromise“ in exchange for work.

The Hema commission under justice K. Hema was constituted to address problems faced by women in the Malayalam film industry following a 2017 sexual assault case involving the actor Dileep. The case, which saw an actress abducted and molested by several accused including Dileep, has been ongoing since then. The report, filed in 2019, was not released earlier owing to its sensitive content.

According to the report, the Malayalam film industry denies opportunities to those who are not ready to “cooperate“ and grant sexual favours. There is a general perception that actresses are here to make money and will therefore share a bed with anyone.