STATE OF PLAY
When an upcoming actor made allegations of rape against producer-actor Vijay Babu last month, he chose to brazen it out by appearing on Facebook Live and naming the woman. The producer and his actions were the latest signs of the larger problem within the Malayalam film industry, which has been in the spotlight for the past few years.
Although there were rumours of sexual exploitation and unequal treatment of women in the industry, it was in 2017, when a popular female actor was allegedly abducted and sexually assaulted, that the name of a major star, Dileep, was taken for the first time in such a context. That case has taken major twists and turns since then, with Dileep now facing accusations of influencing witnesses, erasing digital evidence, and even issuing death threats to the investigating officers.
