Ranjith was taken into custody from Thodupuzha after a young actress accused him of sexually assaulting her during a film shoot. He was later produced before a magistrate and has been sent to judicial custody for 14 days. Following his arrest, the Women in Cinema Collective has slammed the Malayalam film industry’s power structures. Now, WCC founding member Parvathy Thiruvothu has reacted to the filmmaker’s arrest.
Parvathy Thiruvothu on Ranjith’s arrest
Parvathy Thiruvothu, one of the founding members of the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC), talks about industry men not fearing consequences. “This current arrest of Ranjith doesn’t come across as a surprise or shock to me. It, of course, is a repeated offence. These are people who aren’t paying the price of what they did in the past.”
She slams those who question women for calling out their abusers late. “In the name of punishment, what we get is performance. When the (Hema Committee) report came out, so many people were asking why the victims aren’t coming forward. But they don’t realise that the moment they come out, women are kept away from the workforce,” she remarks.
“They can’t make money to feed their families. How many women can afford that unless they come from money? These cases go on throughout their lives. The grassroots-level reality isn’t understood by people. They also want sensationalism,” she adds.
About Ranjith’s arrest
According to police, the complaint was filed by a young actress who alleged that the incident took place at the shooting location. Based on her statement, a case has been registered under multiple sections, including sexual assault and outraging the modesty of a woman. Meanwhile, Ranjith`s lawyer has said that they are preparing to move a bail plea in court.
A Special Investigation Team (SIT) was constituted on April 1 to probe the matter further. On April 4, the court remanded him to three days of police custody after the hearing.
This is not the first time the filmmaker has faced allegations of this nature. In 2024, he stepped down as chairman of the Kerala Chalachitra Academy following sexual harassment claims raised by Bengali actor Sreelekha Mitra.
Up next, Parvathy will be seen in Amazon Prime Video’s Storm, a gritty, high-stakes thriller series set against the relentless pulse of Mumbai. The project is backed by Hrithik Roshan.
