Revathy Sampath and Sonia Malhar broke into tears while sharing their harrowing experiences of sexual harassment.
Malayalam film actors Revathy Sampath and Sonia Malhar broke into tears while sharing their harrowing experiences of sexual harassment and exploitation within the Malayalam film industry’s A.M.M.A association. Revathy Sampath recounted her alleged sexual assault by actor Siddique, which she claims occurred when she was a teenager which befell shortly after completing her Plus Two education. She shed tears and her words stuttered while explaining the horrendous incident.
Revathy told Manorama News that the actor Siddique locked her in a room and assaulted her sexually. He ‘masturbated’ in front of her as she was trembling with fear. She shed tears saying that she wasn’t sure about her life or if she would be able to meet her parents ever again. Since 2019, she has repeatedly made these allegations publicly, resulting in the loss of many career opportunities. Hearing her bitter experience, Sonia Malhar couldn’t control her tears and became emotional, stating that the culprits should be punished and banned from future movie roles.
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In 2019, Revathy filed a #MeToo complaint against actor Siddique, but the case did not lead to a successful outcome. At that time, she stated that women who speak up about such issues are often labelled as ‘arrogant’ and people may not even listen to what she is saying.
Since the Hema Committee Report was released A.M.M.A association found itself embroiled in controversy. The report was completed in 2019 but kept under wraps until a Kerala High Court order revealed widespread discrimination and challenges faced by women in the industry.
The Committee was formed in 2017 after the shocking abduction and sexual assault of a prominent actress, the committee uncovered a male-dominated industry rife with misogyny, where a powerful “mafia” of influential male actors, directors, and producers wield significant control over A.M.M.A and the industry at large, suppressing any opposition to their authority over their female co-actors.
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