He asked me to get naked: Kerala man accuses Mollywood filmmaker Ranjith of sexual harassment

New Delhi: The Malayalam film industry is facing a major crisis as a man has come forward to accuse renowned director Ranjith of sexual harassment. The victim, who wishes to remain anonymous, has filed a police complaint 12 years after the incident occurred.

According to a report, the victim met Ranjith at a five-star hotel in Bengaluru in 2012, where the director allegedly asked him to get naked. The victim recounted the traumatic experience, stating, "He asked me to get naked, saying he wanted to see how I looked. He said my eyes were beautiful and asked me to do my eyebrows. I cannot say the things he did to me now."

Filmmaker faces multiple allegations

The victim, who hails from Kozhikode in Kerala, was allegedly given Ranjith's phone number during the shoot of Bavuttiyude Namathil, starring Mammootty. However, after the incident, Ranjith evaded him, and the victim was left scarred, abandoning his dreams of pursuing a career in films.

This is not the first time Ranjith has faced allegations of sexual misconduct. Bengali actress Sreelekha Mitra had previously lodged a police complaint against him, claiming he touched her inappropriately. Following the accusations, Ranjith resigned as the Kerala Chalachitra Academy Chairman on August 25.

#MeToo hits Malayalam film industry

The Malayalam film industry is facing a wave of #MeToo allegations, with several actresses accusing actors and filmmakers of sexual assault at the workplace. In response, superstar Mohanlal resigned as the president of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA) on Tuesday, along with all members of the executive committee. The industry is under scrutiny, and the accusations against Ranjith have added fuel to the fire.