Ratheesh Ambady, a noted makeup artist in the Malayalam film industry, has been booked by the Kerala police for allegedly sexually harassing a woman makeup artist and sending her obscene messages on social media. The incident took place last year. Ratheesh has worked in prominent films such as Kandahar (2010), Mallu Singh (2012), Edakkad Battalion 06 (2019), and Otta (2023).

The accused has been booked under Section 354(A) (sexual harassment) of the Indian Penal Code and relevant sections of the Information Technology Act, Pooyappally police confirmed to TNM. The case is currently being probed by the special investigation team (SIT) headed by IGP G Sparjan Kumar, which was formed to investigate cases registered in the aftermath of the release of the Hema Committee report. The report, which was released on August 19, had revealed a deep systemic rot in the Malayalam film industry’s work culture, bringing to light instances of blatant sexual harassment and power abuse.

The Kerala High Court had earlier directed the SIT to look into the findings of the report, reach out to those who have deposed before the committee, and if the survivors consent to it, take action against perpetrators of sexual harassment. Accordingly, another makeup artist in the industry, Saji Koratty, was recently booked in a sexual harassment case by the Ponkunnam police.

TNM had earlier reported on the plight of the industry’s women makeup artists and hairstylists, many of whom have alleged that they are treated like second-class citizens without access to even basic facilities or security on film sets.