Follow TNM's WhatsApp channel for news updates and story links.
“The real struggle starts now,” Malayalam actor Rima Kallingal declared on Sunday, December 14, as protests erupted at the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) against the trial court verdict in the Kerala actor assault case. The ‘Avalkkoppam’ (we stand with her) protest gathering was attended by several prominent voices, including senior dubbing artist Bhagyalakshmi, wife of late filmmaker Balachandrakumar – a key witness in the case – and CPI(M) Kerala State Secretary MV Govindan.
“Avalkkoppam is more relevant today than ever. I believe the real struggle truly begins now,” Rima said, criticising the verdict and calling it deeply unsettling.
“It is not reassuring in any way. Beyond my concern for the survivor and everyone who stood by her through this long journey, I worry about the message this verdict sends to the next generation. Young people are watching closely, and this sets a very bad example. We need to send a much stronger message about what is happening around us,” she told Onmanorama after the protest.
Speaking to the media, Bhagyalakshmi said this was a moment for society to stand firmly with the survivor. Referring to actor Dileep, she said, “After the verdict, everyone understood that he was the one who orchestrated the crime. After his acquittal, instead of simply expressing happiness or saying ‘the truth has won’, he named a woman. The survivor never named him while speaking about the conspiracy. Then why does he feel targeted? Because he is the one who did it.”
In his first statement following his acquittal in the case on December 8, actor Dileep, the eighth accused in the case, and the alleged mastermind behind the crime, blamed his ex-wife Manju Warrier. “The conspiracy against me started when Manju said that there was a conspiracy behind the crime,” Dileep said on December 8. The Ernakulam Principal District and Sessions Court had acquitted him citing a lack of evidence.
Meanwhile CPI(M) state secretary MV Govindan said the larger issue was the failure to identify and prosecute those who conspired in the crime. “The problem we face is our inability to identify those who planned the crime and bring them before the law. It is the responsibility of every individual in Kerala to ensure that the conspirators are brought to justice,” he said.
Protests against Dileep have also been reported from other parts of the state. On December 13, a group of women passengers on a KSRTC bus travelling from Thiruvananthapuram protested against the screening of one of Dileep’s films during the journey. Following their objection, the bus staff stopped the screening. “I was travelling to Kesavadasapuram and felt uncomfortable watching his film for nearly two and a half hours. I asked other passengers if they wanted to continue watching it; most said no, and I conveyed this to the operator,” said Lakshmi Sankar, one of the passengers.
Another controversy emerged in Ernakulam over Dileep’s proposed participation in a temple event. He had been invited to inaugurate the distribution of coupons for an upcoming festival at the Siva Temple. After protests, the temple, which comes under the Cochin Devaswom Board, decided to withdraw the invitation.
