The more Manju Warrier has tried to stay away from controversies, the more she has been dragged into them. The actor’s silence over the ongoing rift in the Malayalam film industry, with a few members of the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC) and their supporters questioning the approach of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes (AMMA), has repeatedly come up for discussion.
Manju has now spoken to Manorama about her stance, making it clear that she stands by the survivor, a woman actor who was abducted and sexually assaulted in February last year. When asked why her name always popped up in controversies regarding the WCC, Manju said, “I have already said whatever I have to say on this issue, I am not interested in elaborating and creating more controversies. We have much better things to do, don’t we?”
Responding to the social media comments that have repeatedly asked her for her views, Manju said, “My stance has always been one and the same regarding this. Which is that I have always been with her. I haven’t felt the need to repeatedly announce this stance every day. She knows that, too. Those who know me and her very well also know this. Ours was a bond that started way before Facebook hashtags and the likes. That will remain so always. Even after all this noise and uproar gets over. To announce this, I don’t need hashtags.”
She further added that she does not wish to mix up her personal relationships with people with what’s happening in associations. “Controversies and discussions will come and go. I don’t want to mix up my relationship with all this. With regard to associations, I have taken the stance as and when it had to be taken. I don’t believe that personal relationships are hindered by associations or legal rules and regulations,” she said.
While the WCC had come down heavily on the decision taken by AMMA to reinstate Dileep, Manju had not shared her view on any platform. Many said that she was in a difficult spot because the president of AMMA, Mohanlal, is her co-star in upcoming films. There were also rumours that Mohanlal had pressured her to quit the WCC and that she was no longer part of it. However, the WCC clarified that no such decision had been taken.