Mohanlal under fire over actress kidnap case

The Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA), led by superstar Mohanlal, came under fire yesterday from the Women’s Collective in Cinema (WCC) over the way the kidnapping case of an actress is being handled.

The WCC was formed last year by women drawn from various sectors of the film industry to fight for their cause, after they found that AMMA was not protecting their interests.

Senior actor Dileep is an accused in the kidnapping case that took place last year. The actor was in jail for 85 days and is now out on bail.

The WCC alleges that AMMA has not supported the victim, whereas Dileep has got all the backing.

Leading actress Revathy yesterday said that many like her were shocked to hear Mohanlal address them as mere actresses.

“It really hurt us very much... he could have mentioned us by our name. We have now realised that AMMA’s executive committee is taking us for a ride and is not serious about the victim getting justice in the kidnapping case,” said Revathy, adding AMMA should be handled by responsible people.

Trouble started soon after Mohanlal took over as AMMA president in June. He took back into the AMMA fold Dileep, prompting leading actresses Rima Kallingal, Remya Nambisan and Geetu Mohandas to quit the organisation in protest. Another 14 members announced their decision to quit, citing lack of fairness.

At a press conference yesterday, Revathy, Padmapriya, Parvathy and the three actresses who quit AMMA and a few others were also present.

The decision on Dileep’s status has been left to the next general body meeting of AMMA.