Dileep arrest drama
Top Malayalam actor’s imprisonment has sent shockwaves across Kerala as the police detains him over the alleged abduction and assault of a prominent South Indian actress
The arrest of top Malayalam actor Dileep on Monday evening has the makings of a warped crime thriller filled with a vendetta and a nasty villain at its centre. The 48-yearold actor has been accused of orchestrating the abduction and sexual assault of his colleague (name withheld) in February and is now imprisoned at the Aluva Sub Jail, near Kochi.
According to reports, the actor paid Rs15 million (Dh852,576) to a local goon, who was later identified as Pulsar Suni, to block the actress’s vehicle around 10pm on February 17 near Kochi. A gang of masked men attacked the actress in her car and allegedly took visuals of the molestation as they drove around.
The Welcome To Central Jail star’s intention was to allegedly settle personal scores by blackmailing the actress with those images.
For those in the dark, the survivor of the attack and Dileep were good friends until a few years ago. But their relationship soured when she allegedly ratted him out to his ex-wife, Manju Warrier, about his affair with another colleague and Dileep’s now-wife, Kavya Madhavan.
According to reports, the actor of over 130 films in a career spanning two decades, didn’t take to that betrayal kindly and has been plotting revenge for the last three years. Apart from an unofficial boycott of the actress from films, Dileep is said to have been planning this sexual assualt for the last three years.
At the time of going to print, the actor — who has more than four films riding on him currently — is likely to be in prison for 14 days and his lawyer will post bail today.
Meanwhile, the highly-influential actor is feeling the heat of his arrest. Protests have erupted in Kerala with an angry mob seeking a strict sentence for the accused. Dileep’s restaurant Dhe Puttu, has also been vandalised. His membership from The Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA), an authority led by Kerala’s iconic stars such as Mohanlal, Mammootty and Innocent, has been revoked. The actor was the treasurer of Amma.
Mammootty, who is also the general secretary of AMMA and has been maintaining a studious distance from this issue, confirmed the membership expulsion to the local media. The decision was taken after the actor’s arrest when several members of the film fraternity met at Mammootty’s residence.
“We will never favour a particular section of people in AMMA. The organisation is for all,” said Mammootty to reporters. He was flanked by Mohanlal and actor Prithviraj.
Mammootty’s reassurance about AMMA being a neutral body is a telling sign that the Malayalam film industry and its key players are in damagecontrol mode. Their recent meeting came under fire when its board members, led by actor Innocent, attacked the media for asking questions about them supporting Dileep, an accused in an active criminal investigation. On Tuesday, Mammootty expressed his regret over the previous meet in which actors such as Ganesh at- tacked the media for questions over their support of Dileep. A large section of the Malayali community expressed outrage at the remarks, which clearly supported Dileep, with some commenting that the situation reeked of deep-seated sexism and patriarchy that exists in the Kerala film industry. Incidentally, Dileep was seated on stage at the meeting at the time.
LIP-SERVICE
As soon as news of the attack on the actress became public, top actors, including Dileep, paid lip-service by claiming that the culprits behind the heinous incident should be sent to prison. Dileep’s ex-wife and actress, Manju Warrier, even suggested at the time that there was a premeditated conspiracy behind the assault.
Interestingly, until his arrest, Dileep has been crying foul to the media and claiming that he had being unfairly targeted. Even after his arrest, Dileep addressed the media saying he was innocent and was framed.
While this is a developing story, sources reveal that several other arrests may soon follow. As a part of the probe, actress and Dileep’s wife, Kavya Madhavan’s boutique, was also subjected to a raid. The police is said to have found conclusive proof linking the actor to the attack, following their extensive investigation. The assault case has captured every Keralite’s imagination, with the arrest sending shockwaves across the state.
Over the years, Dileep has enjoyed stupendous success after a playing a string of common-man roles. Whether it’s playing a goofy, pampered brother in Twenty Twenty or a Robin Hoodstyle thief in the blockbuster, Meesa
Madhavan, he has appealed to many because of his approachable personality. In all his interviews, he comes across as the Mr Nice Guy and a wholesome family man.
However, not everyone has been a fan. The late actor Thilakan had labelled him as ‘venomous’ in his interviews. The award-winning actor bore the brunt of Dileep’s wrath and is believed to have been sidelined under Dileep’s diktats from films.
Director Vinayan, in a panel discussion, even declared that while he hopes that his colleague Dileep is innocent, there’s no denying the actor’s vengeful ways.
It remains to be seen if Dileep’s case — which has come under intense scrutiny by the public and the media — will swing in the direction of Salman Khan’s 2002 hit-and-run case when his vehicle caused the death of one, and injured four others; the actor was finally acquitted in 2015.
But there’s no denying that Dileep is going through the lowest phase in his life right now.