South Indian actor Charmila claimed that a producer and his friends tried to rape her on the sets of a Malayalam movie. Chennai native Charmila said it was one of the producers of the 1997 family-drama "Arjunan Pillayum Anchu Makkalum" who tried to sexually molest her on the last day of the shoot.
Talking to a Malayalam news channel, Charmila, who has been active in the south Indian movie industry since the last decade of the 20th century, said that she has limitations to open up due to societal pressure. Life may become difficult for her son if she disclosed everything, the senior artist said.
MP Mohanan, a producer of the "Arjunan Pillayum Anchu Makkalum" was the man who tried to rape her along with his friends on the last day of shooting. Most actors had left the set when the men made their move in Pollachi. It was after a song's shoot got over on the final day of the schedule, Charmila told Asianet News.
Some hotel staffers helped Mohanan and co to trap her. While she managed to flee the trap unhurt, some of her friends were not that lucky, the actor who was part of many Mollywood movies like 'Uncle Bun', 'Kabooliwala 'and 'Kambolam' said.
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The 49-year-old actor portrayed the role of Jayasree opposite Jagadish's Uthaman in Chandrasekharan-directorial "Arjunan Pillayum Anchu Makkalum." Late actors Innocent, KPAC Lalitha and Kalpana played important roles in the movie alongside Harishree Ashokan, Jagathy Sreekumar, Bindu Panicker and Baiju among others. The movie was co-produced by C Gangadharan sons, K Shanmukhama and Mohanan.
As many as 28 people tried to misbehave with her the actor added.
#MeToo rocks Malayalam cinema
Earlier this week, actor Minu Muneer had alleged that actors Jayasurya, Idavela Babu, Mukesh and Maniyanpilla Raju misbehaved with her. She said by 2013, she acted in six movies and to get a membership in AMMA an actor only needs to be cast in three films. When she called up actor Idavela Babu, Minu alleged that he invited her to his flat to fill out a form. While filling out the form, he allegedly kissed her on the neck, following which she left the building immediately, Minu Muneer said.
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Mollywood's 'MeToo' revelations come in the backdrop of the Hema Committee Report, which revealed alleged sexual abuses and harassment faced by women in the Malayalam film industry.
