KOCHI: Women in Cinema Collective (WCC) has lashed out at Mohanlal, the president of Malayalam Cinema artistes’ association AMMA, and its executive members over their attitude in the actress attack case. At a press conference held at Ernakulam Press Club on Saturday, actresses mainly Revathy, Padmapriya and Parvathy emotionally but candidly explained the cold and hostile response they had been getting from AMMA executive members in issues related to the case.

“No solid action has come forth from the EC members despite the attack that has happened against an actress, who has been in the field for the past 15 years. It was that incident that led to the formation of WCC. It is the time when a movement (Metoo) is happening all over India. But in Kerala, this is not happening,” they said. Actresses Remya Nambeeshan, Anjali Menon and film editor Beena Paul among a handful of other artistes were present.

Excerpts from the press conference

Revathy: In the talks held with the AMMA president earlier, he was reluctant to address us by our names. He just mentioned – three actresses. I was also not invited to AMMA’s programme. I became a member of AMMA in 1995, when it was formed. I’m not a commercial person. When the accused is inside the association, the survivor is outside it.

Parvathy: AMMA secretary Edavela Babu wanted to hush up the issue and not make any noise about it. He asked us why we wanted to malign the name of AMMA. He called us for a consensus talk and in meeting held on October 7, for the first 40 minutes, they levelled allegations against us. They were not willing to hear us and finally we had to play the audio recording of the survivor.
Padmapriya: Mohanlal’s was the first response. He said he would support the survivor. His inhibition was how he would correct the decision taken by the general body.

Parvathy: Rachana and Honey gave a petition in the court in support of the survivor as told by Executive member Babu Raj but later he described the survivor as a cat that fell in hot water.