Malayalam actor and Member of Parliament (MP) Innocent's remark on the "bad women" in the film industry continues to haunt him.
Days after he declared that the Malayalam film industry is completely devoid of casting couch, but that "bad women might go to bed", the state women's commission has flayed his remark.
Commission Chairperson MC Josephine said on Saturday that the commission will initiate a probe into the actor's statement. Commission Director has been asked to carry out the probe.
Innocent, also the President of Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes (AMMA) had on Wednesday said in a press conference:
"The Malayalam film industry is clean now and no such thing as casting couch exists in the industry... It is not like the yesteryears. The situation today is such that if there is any bad behaviour towards any women, the media will know immediately," he said, adding: "But if the woman is bad, maybe they will go to bed".
While the press meet was called up in Thrissur by Innocent to clear the air about rumours that he was to quit as the President of AMMA, it sparked off yet another round of controversy after he made the comment about "bad women."
His comments soon backfired, when Women in Cinema Collective (WCC), the recently formed women's forum, condemned his statement.
"Even though we thank Innocent for the nice words he spoke about WCC, we are forced to strongly disagree with his remark that casting couches no longer exist here. The power structures that exist in a society exist here too. Many newcomers coming into the industry are exploited in many ways,” WCC said in a Facebook post.
Actor Rima Kallingal, also a member of WCC, took to Facebook to convey her disagreement to Innocent's remark.
She questioned the system that points fingers at women who are forced to sleep around for a job opportunity, rather than holding the men asking for those favours accountable.
Not the cinema industry, Innocent faced criticism even from political opponents. Several members of Youth Congress conducted a protest march to his residence in Thrissur the following day, demanding his resignation.