Forced to watch sexual act: Malayalam actor accuses director of assault

Former Malayalam actor Minu Muneer accused seven men, including popular actor Jayasurya, of physical and verbal abuse. Based on her allegations, a First Information Report (FIR) was filed against the accused. In a recent interview with India Today, Muneer spoke about her experiences and the impact of the Hema Committee report that prompted her to come forward. She also accused popular director and actor Balachandra Menon of assault.

“I am very satisfied with the examination,” she explained. “Seeing an MLA with so much influence get arrested is not an easy thing. For me it was an intuition when the report was published. When the Prime Minister said we would register cases as soon as complaints were received, I felt I should speak up about it.”

Muneer also made allegations against actor-director Balachandra Menon, claiming that he forced her to watch group sex in his room in 2007. I left the room. He asked me to sit and watch,” she said.

Reflecting on her journey, Muneer expressed her disillusionment with the industry. “I had many dreams but the industry turned out to be a nightmare for me. It (Hema Committee report) is a purge not just of the industry but of our society.”

In addition to her allegations, Muneer is facing a POCSO case following a complaint from her cousin. Reacting to the situation, she said: “She is taking revenge on me for not helping her get offers. How can I help her knowing what the industry is like? My opponents are behind it. It’s a struggle I have to deal with.

Muneer also revealed that she had received several calls from people wanting to negotiate a compromise, including one offering money. “Now I don’t accept calls from unknown numbers,” she said.

On September 25, Malayalam actor Edavela Babu was arrested by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) after he was accused of physical and verbal abuse by Minu Muneer. The actor was granted early bail in the case.

Muneer shared a detailed note on Facebook in the last week of August explaining her ordeal. She wrote, “I am writing to report a series of incidents of physical and verbal abuse that I suffered at the hands of 1, Mukesh 2, Maniyanpilla Raju 3, Edavela Babu 4, Jayasurya 5, Adv Chandrasekaran, 6, Production Manager Noble Vichu in Malayalam film industry (sic).”

“In 2013, I was physically and verbally abused by these people while I was working on a project. I tried to cooperate and continue working, but the abuse became unbearable. As a result, I was forced to leave the Malayalam film industry and relocate to Chennai,” she continued.

Edavela Babu, actor-MLA Mukesh and Jayasurya claim they are innocent.

On August 19th the report of the Hema Committee was made public, prompting many women to come forward and name their abusers. Following the report, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) was formed to receive complaints.