Vijay Babu steps down from AMMA amid sexual assault case
Kerala actor and producer Vijay Babu, who has been charged with sexual assault, has stepped down from the executive committee of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA). Babu will be not be a part of the committee till he is proved innocent in the case. This came after AMMA members met to discuss the required action against the producer on Sunday.
Why does this story matter?
AMMA has been infamous for supporting accused perpetrators and hushing complaints. In 2017-18, it dilly-dallied a lot before cutting off actor Dileep, who was accused of masterminding the abduction and rape of a female actor. Then, it reinstated Dileep within months. Angered, the survivor and other actors had quit AMMA in protest. It also led to the creation of the Women in Cinema Collective.
How was the announcement made?
After the conclusion of the meeting on May 1, the association sent out a statement. "Vijay Babu has sent a letter saying that he did not want to bring disgrace to the organization of which he is an Executive Committee member amid the allegations leveled against him," it read. The note added that his letter was discussed and approved in the meeting.
Reports suggest this step didn't come easily
According to The News Minute, the recently-formed Internal Committee (IC) in AMMA had recommended Babu should be asked to step down on April 27, five days after the police complaint against him was filed. However, this suggestion wasn't acted upon. As a result, the presiding officer of the IC/actor Shwetha Menon, and actor Baburaj had reportedly threatened to quit during Sunday's meeting. There's more.
Actor resigned from IC due to AMMA's alleged inaction
Reportedly, noted Malayalam theater and film actor Maala Parvathi has actually resigned from the IC on Monday. Although she'll continue to be part of AMMA, Parvathi wrote in her resignation letter: "[IC] isn't just a grievance redressal committee, but has to implement policies to prevent harassment." "It also has to recommend actions to be taken...Being a committee member...can only be done if [it's] autonomous."
Another woman has leveled assault allegations against Babu
Notably, a young actor has accused Babu of sexually and physically assaulting her multiple times. Denying the allegations, the producer had shamed and named the survivor online. Recently, another woman has come out to level assault allegations against him. Currently, Babu is absconding.
