“It’s a hard-working industry…don’t destroy it”: Mohanlal issues first statement on Hema Committee report

Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala) [India], August 31 (ANI): In his first address after resigning as the President of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA) amid the #MeToo storm in Mollywood, actor Mohanlal on Saturday, urged people not to “destroy” the Malayalam industry.

The actor welcomed the Hema Committee report and asserted that the guilty will be punished and they will cooperate in the investigation. He also informed that elections for the new positions in AMMA will be held soon.

A redacted version of the Justice Hema Committee report on harassment faced by women in the Malayalam cinema industry was made public, earlier this month. The report containing shocking accounts of harassment, exploitation, and ill-treatment of women professionals has taken the whole industry by storm.

“When such incidents happen, which might lead to the destruction of the entire industry, we do not know what else to do. We request you not to put the entire focus on AMMA. The investigation is going on, and all the statements are out in the public,” the veteran actor told reporters on Saturday.

“There are disagreements in the association as well, so we will take appropriate action. There will be an election soon. This is not any kind of escape. Please don’t put unnecessary blame on the association. We welcome the Hema Committee report. It was the correct decision by the government to release that report. We welcome that. I was AMMA president for the last two terms. The entire Malayalam cinema is answerable for the resignation of the executive members,” he added.

Earlier this week, Mohanlal, along with other AMMA leaders, resigned from their positions following serious allegations of sexual abuse made by several female actors against prominent figures in Malayalam cinema, including director Ranjith and actors Siddique and Mukesh.

Further urging the media and the public not to paint the entire industry in a negative light, the actor emphasised it is a very ‘hard-working’ industry. He added that the

“AMMA cannot answer all the questions. Everybody should be asked these questions. This is a very hard-working industry. A lot of people are involved in this, but not everyone is to be blamed. The responsible ones will be punished. The investigation is underway. We cannot change the law for anyone; those involved will be punished. Don’t destroy the industry.”

“The investigation will definitely happen. We cannot suddenly come up with a solution. Problems faced by junior artists are also being looked at. Suddenly, there is an explosion of names coming out. We are helpless here. We will cooperate in the investigation process. We are only here to make things right,” he further said.