Veteran Malayalam actor Siddique on Sunday resigned as the general secretary of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA) after actress Revathy Sampath accused him of sexual misconduct, Onmanorama reported. The resignation has been submitted to the organisation's president, Mohanlal, via email. "I am stepping down from the position in light of the allegations against me," he wrote.

Besides, acclaimed Malayalam filmmaker Ranjith resigned as the chairman of Kerala Chalachitra Academy following allegations of misbehaviour levelled against him by a Bengali actress. The actress recently alleged that the award-winning filmmaker had behaved inappropriately when she came up for the shooting of a film which Ranjit had helmed.

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The developments came days after the Hema Committee report revealed that actresses in the Malayalam film industry are subjected to several atrocities, including sexual assault and pay cuts, at their workplace.

In shocking revelations, Sampath alleged she was physically abused by Siddique in 2016, adding that her other friends also had similar experiences with the latter.

“Siddique first contacted me through social media. Later, following the preview show of the movie 'Sukhamayirikkatte', he invited me to his hotel room. I was 21 years old then. He sexually assaulted me and even locked me inside a room. However, I managed to escape," she said.

Sampath said she spoke about this in 2019 as well and was reiterating her charge as she had nothing to loose.

She said Siddique harassed her mentally as well, which affected her professional life. Sampath said no one stood by her and everyone tried to normalise it.

“He assaulted me, both physically and mentally. Siddique is a criminal. I went through severe mental trauma. It even affected my professional life. No system stood by me. It took me a long time to speak out. After the assault, Siddique acted as if nothing had happened and stood before me like it was normal. Everyone responded as if it was a common occurrence. It felt like they all did it knowingly,” she added.

Hema Committee Report:

The Hema Committee was established following the sexual assault of a female actor in a moving car in Kerala. Its purpose was to investigate the challenges faced by women working in the film industry. The committee's report revealed that female actors in the Kerala film industry often lacked access to proper toilets and changing rooms at shooting locations. Additionally, the findings indicated that women or girls approached by production companies or certain individuals are frequently pressured to make ‘adjustments’ or ‘compromises’ in return for opportunities.

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It said the terms-- "compromise" and "adjustment"-- are well-known among women in the Malayalam film industry, and they imply that women are expected to be available for sex on demand.