If the rape survivor actor – abducted and assaulted in a car in February 2017 – wishes to come back to the Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes, she should be able to, actor Kunchacko Boban said in an interview to Manorama News. “We should safeguard the interest of the victim, there is no doubt about it,” said the actor, who was also an executive council member of AMMA previously.
The survivor and three other actors supporting her had resigned from the association last year when AMMA decided to reinstate the accused actor in the case – Dileep. This happened a little after Dileep was released on bail, three months after serving time in prison.
Kunchacko also states that even now there is no clear picture of who is behind the attack on the survivor. “Until we have a clear picture – like a court verdict or judgment – we cannot take a clear stance. We should also take into consideration the situation if the accused becomes acquitted.”
He added that even if “we do a hundred good things – an association or an individual – we would be destroyed for the one bad thing we do.”
There has been a lot of discussion and debate over AMMA’s decision to reinstate actor Dileep. Prominent members of the Women in Cinema Council questioned and criticised the move. The WCC that was formed soon after the attack on the actor, has been fighting the mostly patriarchal attitude shown by certain members of AMMA, holding meetings with the Executive Council to bring justice. After the last meeting between them didn’t turn fruitful, the WCC had called a press conference in Kochi, slamming AMMA for its anti-survivor stance.
Dileep meanwhile had claimed that he was not joining AMMA even though the association asked him to. For a long time, it seemed unclear what the status of his membership was. The WCC alleged that AMMA was being evasive about its decision to reinstate Dileep, who stands accused of being the mastermind behind the plot to abduct and assault the survivor. The WCC said that they had lost their faith in the AMMA executive council.