The controversies triggered by the release of the Justice Hema Committee report appear far from over, as another person from the film industry has now come forward with a disturbing revelation about a traumatic experience a female actor had to face. Actor-filmmaker Alleppey Ashraf is the latest to share an account of the challenges and dangers faced by women working in the industry. According to Ashraf, the survivor is one of the founding members of the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC), a group established in the Malayalam film industry following the 2017 abduction and assault of a female actor in Kochi. Since its formation, the WCC has been a driving force in the fight for gender equality within the industry.

In a video on his official YouTube channel, Ashraf shared that the incident took place in a hotel room in Alappuzha, Kerala. “The female actor reached the place for film shooting. During her stay in a hotel, the actor showed some kindness towards a room boy hailing from Kuttanad. However, when the actor was alone in her room one night, the boy took the spare key from the counter around midnight and entered the room. He sat on the bed where the actress was sleeping and observed her for some time, enjoying the sight,” Ashraf said.

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“Then, the boy touched her gently. But the actor woke up and screamed on seeing his face. The boy panicked and fled from the room and the actor followed him, shouting. By that time, everyone in the hotel woke up and called the police. The police arrived soon and took the room boy into custody. He was even thrashed at the police station. An FIR was also prepared which I have read,” he added.

Alleppey Ashraf further claimed that the survivor later requested to withdraw her complaint and close the case, asking others who knew about the incident to keep it confidential. He added that the actor had chosen not to report the incident even to the Justice Hema Committee, fearing reputational harm. Ashraf, however, also praised the WCC’s efforts.

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“A group of leading female actors took the initiative to identify actors who suffered harassment, neglect and pain in the Malayalam film industry and encouraged them to testify before the Hema Committee. WCC has the support of the society. But a founding member of the collective remained silent about her own experience. She even said that she was not aware of any such incident in Malayalam film industry. Even the Hema Committee report mentions that this actress could not be trusted,” he added, suggesting that those who lead organisations should set an example and he criticised the actor for compromising the WCC’s mission.