In light of the rape case against Malayalam producer-actor Vijay Babu, the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC) has urged the government to take measures to ensure the safety of the survivor, who is currently being attacked on social media. WCC also demanded that film bodies suspend the accused’s membership from their respective organisations.
Recently, Babu was charged with sexual assault based on a complaint filed by a female actor. The survivor stated that the producer had physically abused and sexually exploited her between March 13 and April 14, this year.
After news broke about the sexual assault allegation, the accused went live on Facebook on Tuesday night and spoke about the matter. Babu revealed the survivor’s identity by openly naming her in violation of the law against doing so. Claiming innocence, he also threatened to file a defamation suit against her for making those allegations.
On Friday, the WCC questioned why the actor was not in custody despite an arrest warrant being issued against him. The organisation also noted that the accused’s body language during his Facebook Live session included “twirling his moustache like a B-grade film villain during Facebook Live.”
They further said that Babu had ensured that the survivor would be the target of harassment on social media by naming her multiple times. “Claiming that he was innocent and that he would file a counter case of defamation – he went on to deliberately name the young woman actor again several times, making sure she’d be the target of vicious social media mobs. Vijay Babu taking the survivor’s name illegally has opened doors for mass social media attacks and shaming of the survivor.”
The WCC has requested the cyber cell and Vanitha Commission to act upon this matter urgently. Noting that the “debasement of women” through social media is reaching its lowest depths, the organisation urged the government to take responsibility for the survivor’s safety and requested all authorities to take serious note of this and act accordingly.
Aside from this, the WCC also pointed out that the Malayalam film industry, and the associations that the accused is a member of, have continued to stay silent through all this. “No one from the industry wants to say anything about this powerful, well-connected man. And it is this very silence that makes sure more and more women are exploited and assaulted in the industry,” they noted.
Stating that they are “appalled at this silence,” the WCC added that this silence from associations comes in spite of the recent judgement of the Kerala High Court directing them to implement the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace Act 2013 in the Malayalam film industry.
“We demand that the Industry and all the allied Associations take a serious note of this and the membership of Vijay Babu in all Film Bodies be suspended until there is a verdict. Unless they take action against him for his brazenly illegal act of victim shaming in public, their stand as industry organisations is problematic,” the WCC said.
Recommended
The WCC also pointed out that in the aftermath of the 2017 female actor abduction and sexual assault incident, some of those in the industry had claimed to ‘stand with the survivor and pray for the accused’. “If they choose to stay silent now, should we assume that he is twirling his moustache and speaking on behalf of all of them?” WCC questioned.
It may be noted that Babu was elected to the executive committee of AMMA (Association of Malayalam Movie Artists) for the 2021-2024 term.
The WCC also reiterated the need for the immediate implementation of the POSH Act in Malayalam film productions and a zero-tolerance policy with regard to sexual harassment across the industry.