Tovino Thomas welcomes resignations, defends Malayalam cinema: 'Only in Kerala Hema Committee was formed...'

Actor Tovino Thomas has welcomed the resignations of veteran actor Siddique and director Ranjith, while expressing his faith in the due process of the law to uncover the truth and punish those who are guilty.

Siddique and Ranjith, two of the most influential figures in Malayalam cinema, are currently under scrutiny for charges of sexual assault and misconduct. A young actress has alleged that Siddique sexually abused her in 2016, while Bengali actress Sreelekha has recalled an incident where she claims Ranjith touched her inappropriately during a film discussion.

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Reacting to the matter, Tovino expressed confidence in the legal process while urging people not to demonize the Malayalam film industry. "Those facing allegations resigning from their posts will allow for an impartial investigation. If these allegations are proven true, then they should be punished according to the law," he told the media.

He emphasized that only in Kerala a committee was formed to address such issues, paving the way for significant change, but this does not mean such cases of harassment are absent in other industries.

"All workplaces across the world should be safe. It's only in the Malayalam film industry that a panel like the Hema Committee was formed to conduct investigations. So, you cannot claim that such things don’t happen in other industries. We can place our faith in the system and believe that justice will be upheld," he added.

The Hema Committee report, submitted to the Kerala government in 2019 and recently made public, has empowered women in the Malayalam film fraternity to publicly name those who allegedly wronged them and seek justice. The report has cast a huge shadow on many high-profile members of the industry.

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