Junior artist alleges 'Bro Daddy' AD raped and blackmailed her
A junior artist from the Malayalam film industry has accused Mansoor Rasheed, the assistant director of the 2022 film Bro Daddy, of sexual assault and blackmail. The allegations stem from an incident in 2021 during the shooting of a wedding scene in which she participated. The artist reportedly alleges that Rasheed raped her and took nude photos, which he later used for blackmail.
Artist detailed assault, blackmail by the assistant director
The junior artist alleges that the incident occurred when Rasheed "lured her to a hotel room" under the guise of offering her more scenes in Bro Daddy. She claims that he spiked her drink and sexually assaulted her while she was intoxicated. Following the assault, Rasheed allegedly took nude photos of the victim and used them to extort money from her multiple times.
Police investigation underway, accused assistant director missing
The victim has lodged a complaint with the Hyderabad Police, who have registered a case against Rasheed. However, the assistant director is currently untraceable. The complainant alleges that local politicians aided Rasheed in fleeing the town. As of now, no response has been received from the cast and crew members of Bro Daddy regarding these allegations. The film, released in 2022, featured Mohanlal and Prithviraj Sukumaran in the lead.
Malayalam film industry rocked by Hema report revelations
The allegations come amid the fallout from the explosive Hema Committee report, which has put several Malayalam actors and filmmakers under scrutiny for sexual harassment and other workplace misconduct. The report led to the dissolution of the Malayalam industry's film body AMMA on Tuesday, following the resignation of its president, Mohanlal, and all executive committee members. The report exposed a male-dominated power group within the industry that controlled casting decisions and perpetuated a culture of exploitation.
Special Investigation Team formed to probe allegations
In response to the growing number of accusations, the Kerala government has established a special investigation team (SIT) to investigate allegations of sexual harassment. Led by IGP G Sparjan Kumar and includes four senior women IPS officers—DIG S Ajeetha Begam, SP Crime Branch HQ Merin Joseph, AIG Coastal Police G Poonkuzhali and Assistant Director of Kerala Police Academy Aiswarya Dongre. Also part of the team are AIG Law and Order V Ajith and SP Crime Branch S Madhusoodan.
