Ace Malayalam filmmaker Ranjith stepped down as the chairman of the state-run Kerala Chalachitra Academy on Sunday, following public outcry for his resignation after Bengali actor Sreelekha Mitra accused him of misbehaving with her.
Ranjith communicated his decision to Cultural Affairs Minister Saji Cherian, stating that he is unwilling to continue in the position in light of the allegations against him.
Mitra revealed to the media that Ranjith had misbehaved with her when she was invited to his residence to discuss a project in 2009.
She said she felt uncomfortable after he made “subtle advances” and that she left Kerala the following day.
Ranjith denied the accusations, explaining that Mitra was called for an audition for the movie ‘Paleri Manikyam’, but he decided that she was not suitable for the role and sent her back.
Kerala opposition leader V. D.Satheeshan, State BJP president K.Surendran and Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee President K.Sudhakaran have demanded Ranjith’s resignation from the Academy.
The Left Front alliance partner Communist Party of India (CPI) has also called for the resignation of Ranjith and the youth wing of the CPI, All India Youth Federation (AIYF) announced a protest march before Kerala Chalachitra Academy on Monday if Ranjith did not put in his papers.
Malayalam film actors Anoop Chandran and Jayan Cherthala also called for Ranjith’s resignation.
On Saturday Cherian had defended director Ranjith.
Malayalam actor Siddique resigned on Sunday as the general secretary of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA) following sexual assault allegations raised by actress Revathy Sampath.
The actor submitted his resignation to the organisation’s president and Malayalam superstar Mohanlal through an email.
While speaking to Siddique said, “I am stepping down from the position in light of the allegations against me.”
The allegations come up after the release of the Justice Hema Committee report which revealed gender abuses and sexual exploitation in the Malayalam film industry.