Sordid Twist In The Script

Mollywood has for a while now been celebrating movies where seemingly minor male characters suddenly ass­ume key roles—and go on to revel in sins. Amid such dramatic acquisition of an misogynist centrality, Malayalam film industry has itself turned into a villain today, beyond its involvement with criminals or blatant use of slush funds and drugs. This fortnight reported the abduction and rape of a young actress, triggering off-screen tales reminiscent of underworld-­driven Bollywood of the late 1980s.

Only that the Kerala goons are not that big—at least as of now. Yet, it has become a norm to use criminals as bouncers, drivers and bodyguards of actors, produ­cers and directors—a far cry from what Malayalam cinema looked a decade ago.

An FIR filed by the assaulted actress reveals the trauma she experienced. Similar to the 2012 Nirbhaya incident in Delhi, the actress was molested in a moving vehicle. Her workplace cultiva­ted and pampered these criminals. Little did the 30-year-old know that two of the gang of six who kidnapped and molested her were allegedly hired by the production manager of a firm that is making the next movie starring her. Having finished her shoot for Honey Bee 2 at the location in central Kerala’s Thrissur, the actress was being driven 70 km south for dubbing to Kochi in an SUV on February 17. Around 9.30 pm, on the highway near Aluva, 20 km short of her destination, a tempo traveller hit the vehicle from behind. The young SUV driver, Martin Anth­ony, jumped out on the pretext of examining the dent when two men barged in and pinned the actress down. They took the SUV southward to Kalamassery, where two more men joined them—and they got off at Palarivattom in downtown Ern­akulam. The car then went around the coastal city. The actress’ kurta and pants were removed; photographs and videos were taken of her being moles­ted. She was then let off near the house of dir­ector Lal, who immediately informed the police—something the gang least thought would happen.

Pulsar Suni, the gang’s leader (who was arrested a week later), had promised Martin and the others Rs 30 lakh. Martin, 24, had sent Suni messages regularly to tell him where they were during the eventful Friday night. Suni had rented the tempo traveller two days prior to the incident. Sources say he recommended Martin as a driver to the production house, Lal Creations. Suni alias Sunil Kumar, who has numerous cases against him for cheating and burglary, had access to production houses and his recommendation would be considered. His accomplice Manikandan revealed to the police that they had assaulted the actress, hoping to blackmail her. The act­ress told the police that the gang said they were hired by someone to carry out this act which, in local parlance, is a “quotation” (paid hit job).

A growing criminality in Mollywood is also a direct result of black money in the industry. Many actors run companies on benami accounts, even in the names of drivers or production controllers. Some in the new crop of producers, sources say, not only decide the content, but also who should act in which film. The entire ind­ustry seems to be controlled by a few act­ors and producers. Those refusing to toe the line may get blacklisted, and (s)he will not be able to find work elsewhere. The assaulted actress herself had, two years ago, told the media that she was blacklisted for an identical reason.

From 2010, the actress’s roles in major Malayalam films reduced considerably, prompting her to concentrate more in other language films. But in 2017, she was slowly making a comeback. Social media is rife with rum­ours that the actress was assaulted under the instruction of a prominent Malayalam actor who controls much of the ind­ustry now. He has refuted the charges. A new claim is that a woman had hired the criminals, though people think the idea is to divert attention from the allegations against the star.

Old-timers say those who love cinema as an art are left out of place. They have been forced out of the industry. Many in the young crop of producers have no qualms using henchmen to get their work done. One actor is believed to have said that one can­—even for a valid reason—back out on a date given because that would invite the goons at the gate. The Malayalam film industry, once considered a close-knit family, has given way to a mean business culture where money and muscle power is supreme.

Most well-known actors only give dates to their supposed friends or benamis. It is a vicious circle. Those who love cinema and the art have been forced out of the industry. The others who try and make films are one-timers—or “tourist producers”, as producer G. Suresh Kumar calls them. “They come, make a film and then disappear. The others find the going tough,” he says. “They are unlikely to get dates from the superstars or good actors. This has seen a steady decline in the number of (Malayalam) films. Last year, only around 100 were made.”

Director Baiju Kottarakara was at the receiving end many a time. Actors and actresses who were given advances did not turn up at the sets. This, he says, was under the direction of a few in the industry. “I incurred huge losses. The industry is becoming a big mafia,” he adds.

There was a time not long ago when the Malayalam Cine Technicians Asso­ciation was issuing identity cards for employees in the industry, but a rival formation sought to destroy it. That group, the Film Employees Federation of Kerala, employs anyone who pays them Rs 1 lakh; so there has been a surfeit of goons in the industry. This is not the first time the driver has molested an actress—only that they had been brushed under the carpet. Baiju adds that the police and some big guns did help the accused Suni to escape. “How can anyone believe that he appeared at the advocate’s house when whole of Kerala was looking for him,” he asks.

According to Anil V. Thomas of the Kerala Film Chamber of Commerce, there is also a decline in the standard of films. “So far this decade, Malayalam films have picked up only a couple of natio­nal awards. They remained low-budget (within a couple of crores of rupees), but the last few years have seen production of big-budget films. No one knows where this money is coming from or if it is clean money,” he notes. “This can be perilous, for we don’t have an audience as vast as in Tamil or Hindi. In two years, the industry can go bust.” A cinema critic says several actors have four to five releases a year, while “it is a way of money laundering all the black they have accumulated”.

Certain serial actors have chosen to keep away from mainstream cinema unless it a good role comes. Gayathri, one among them, says the system needs a clean-up and security for women. “Mala­yalam cinema has always appealed the world over, but now creativity is getting sidelined.” The February 17 incident has shaken many up, but none finds it easy to clean up the mess.