Hema Committee: Old Tweet Against Actor Mukesh By Casting Director Resurfaces
A 2018 tweet by casting director Tess Joseph resurfaced online and has become part of the discussions following the release of the Hema Committee report. In the tweet, Tess, who was then working on Kodeeswaran, the Malayalam version of Kaun Banega Crorepati, claimed that actor Mukesh had called her room multiple times and allegedly arranged to have her room moved next to his for the next schedule. The casting director stated that she was 20 years old at the time, and that her then-boss Derek O’Brien (current Trinamool Congress Rajya Sabha member) intervened, speaking to her about the incident and ensuring she was flown out of the city on the next flight.
“I was 20 years on old quiz directing koteeswaran when the mallu host Mukesh Kumar called my room multiple times and then changed my room to beside his on the next sch. My then boss Derek O’Brien spoke to me for an hour & got me out on the next flight. 19 yrs on thank you Derek (sic),” Tess wrote on X on October 9, 2018.
I was 20 years old quiz directing #koteeswaran when the mallu host #mukeshkumar called my room multiple times and then changed my room to beside his on the next sch. My then boss @derekobrienmp spoke to me for an hour & got me out on the next flight. 19 yrs on thank you Derek.
— Tess Joseph (@Tesselmania) October 9, 2018
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Mukesh, a veteran actor with over four decades of industry experience, is currently a member of the Kerala Legislative Assembly and hosts several TV shows.
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Actor and MLA Mukesh, meanwhile responding to the revelations from the Hema Committee report, has said that power groups in the film industry will not endure, though no one can be completely eliminated from working in the industry. The actor was speaking to the media about the report, which highlighted the presence of power groups, sexual abuse and bad working conditions in the Malayalam film industry.
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When asked about allegations of sexual abuse and other misconduct, the actor, who has been part of the industry for more than four decades, said that no one had approached him with a complaint.
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“If anyone has harassed women, they should be brought to justice. Many members of my family are working in the arts,” Mukesh said, stressing the need for a safe and supportive working environment for women.
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Regarding the existence of a power group, Mukesh said there are no such things, noting what power the Premalu stars, the young faces, have.
