Actor Sonia Malhar opens up about alleged harassment on movie set by Jayasurya

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Actor Sonia Malhar, who filed a complaint of sexual harassment against actor Jayasurya, recently shared details about the alleged incident.

While speaking to the media, Malhar said, “It was the shooting location of the Malayalam movie ‘Pigman’ in Thodupuzha. When I came out of the washroom, someone grabbed me. It was actor Jayasurya. I pushed him away. He apologized and told me that he wouldn’t repeat it and that we should continue as friends.”

Malhar also spoke about the criticism she faced after sharing her experience publicly. “After the Hema committee report came out, I was sitting in a channel for discussion. The anchor asked me if I had faced any such experience. I explained it on air. Later, I was severely criticised on social media, with people saying my allegations were fake and questioning why I stayed silent for so long. Some even accused me of doing it for money”, she said.

“My sons were irritated by hearing all these allegations and asked me to reveal the name. That is why I am revealing this”, she added.

#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/Mp4l6nTEcn

— ANI (@ANI) August 28, 2024

An FIR was registered against Jayasurya on Friday following the complaint. The Kerala police said, “Second FIR registered against actor Jayasurya under 354, 354A(A1)(I) 354D IPC. The case was registered after the complainant’s statement was recorded. FIR has been registered in Thiruvananthapuram and will be transferred to Thodupuzha police station.”

After the Hema Committee report came out, some women from the Malayalam film industry came forward with charges of sexual harassment. On Thursday, Sonia addressed the issue and revealed shocking incidents of mistreatment and exploitation during the initial years of her career.

She shared, “I was asked to go for makeup and change into my costume. They mentioned there was a slight change in the location. The makeup and costume room, along with toilet facilities, were in an old building nearby. When I went to the toilet and came back, someone unexpectedly held me. I was terrified and he later apologized”.

“After that incident, I faced many difficulties. In films, I was working on, the payments were delayed, and I was replaced after the film was announced in newspapers and on TV. After this news spread, a role that was promised to me was given to someone else”, she added.

Sonia Malhar said that she decided to come out with this allegation when she came to know that an actress from another state also had such bad experiences and she felt shame. “It is shameful that a woman from another state cannot even be shown the respect she deserves. When a woman speaks out against the head of the Film Academy, one would expect some shame”, she added.

She shared that after the Hema Committee report came out, “the silence from many people” deeply “hurt” her.

On August 28, the first FIR was registered against actor and CPI (M) MLA from Kollam, Mukesh M, following the complaint of actress Minu Muneer. Kerala police said, “FIR has been registered against actor Mukesh, CPI (M) MLA from Kollam constituency. The FIR was registered on the basis of the complaint of an actress”.

The police also added that another FIR has been registered against actor Jayasurya on the complaint of the same actress, under Section 354 which deals with intent to outrage modesty. Minu Muneer accused actors Mukesh M, Jayasurya, Maniyanpilla Raju, and Idavela Babu of both verbal and physical abuse during their collaborations on film projects.

Speaking to ANI, Muneer detailed her experiences, alleging a range of misconduct. “Once, as I was coming out from the toilet, Jayasurya hugged me from behind and even kissed me forcefully… After that, Idavela Babu expressed his interest in a sexual relationship with me”, she claimed.

She further described troubling interactions with Maniyanpilla Raju, including inappropriate suggestions regarding her hotel accommodation.

The allegations surfaced shortly after the resignation of director Ranjith and actor Siddique from their positions in the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA), following separate accusations against them.

Muneer’s allegations were initially shared on her Facebook page, where she recounted a series of incidents dating back to 2013. “I am writing to report a series of incidents of physical and verbal abuse I suffered at the hands of Mukesh, Maniyanpilla Raju, Idavela Babu, Jayasurya, Advocate Chandrasekharan, production controller Noble and Vichu”, Muneer wrote.

She stated that the abuse led her to leave the Malayalam film industry and relocate to Chennai. (ANI)