The Hema Committee report case has been gaining momentum in the Malayalam entertainment industry, day-by-day. With many actresses and other female filmmakers raising their voices against their abusers and sharing their sexual harassment experiences, netizens have started to demand justice and quick action. Amidst it all, actress Sonia Malhar has opened up about her many sexual harassment experiences during the early days of her career and how it affected her.
While talking to the news agency ANI, she revealed that she was first sexually harassed during the shoot of Thodupuzha (2013). She recalled how an actor had misbehaved with her. While the experience left her feeling scared, the actor suddenly apologised to her, and from then on they stayed friends. Malhar went on to share that in the last 11 years that she has been in the movie industry she has faced such issues many times. Sonia added that she was not the only one who was mistreated but even her subordinates, friends, and other women became victims of sexual harassment and verbal abuse.
Quoted by India.com, Sonia further added, “Due to all of this, I lost many opportunities in the movie industry. I’m back from mainstream movies, and I have done eight art films in lead roles because I can’t stay or sleep for chances (roles in movies). I always say ‘no’ to this, and some people have cornered me because of it.”
The actress went on to add that she wants to put a stop to the behaviour of womanisers and that she would like to disclose the names of her harassers. She said, “We want to raise this issue and find a solution to stop such behaviour by womanizers in the cine field. Yesterday, I filed a complaint with the Special Investigation Team, mentioning the exact name of the actor, location, and date. My family members have not agreed to reveal the name yet, but I might disclose it to the media in the next two days.”
#WATCH | Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala: On sexual abuse allegations in the Malayalam film industry, Malayalam Actress Sonia Malhar says "My first experience was at a movie location in Thodupuzha in 2013. A hero (actor) misbehaved with me. I was a little scared, I was crying and… pic.twitter.com/lAjGekjMbi
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According to media reports, on Wednesday, Ernakulam SP G Poonguzhali announced that the Special Investigation Team (SIT) has recorded statements of the victims and also provided detailed instructions to the police stations to ensure that appropriate legal action is taken.
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