Nandan Saxena nandansaxena@gmail.com [docuwallahs2]
2018-07-07 05:16:34 UTC
Dear Docuwallahs and friends with a poetic corner in your hearts,
There are times when poets and artists know that their pens, brushes and
cameras will not suffice. Fists clenched, they need to stand up and lend
their voice to shatter the deafening silence.
These are such times.
Rape, misogyny and violence against women are on the rise.
Especially in the film industry. Yet, glaring instances of violence against
women raise few eyebrows and fewer fists.
The worst #MeToo incident did not take place in America.
It was in Kerala.
Dileep- a popular star of the Malayalam film industry allegedly paid a gang
to abduct and molest a senior actor. She survived to tell the tale, but her
ordeal did not end there.
The male-dominated Film industry continues to block her from getting work,
and treats her as an outcast.
Dileep- the ârape-accused film star' got bail after three months. While the
case is still in the courts, his suspension was recently revoked and he was
welcomed back into AMMA- (Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes), in
Kerala.
Both the 'accused' and the 'survivor' belonged to AMMA.
At this brazen misogyny, four senior women members of the association
resigned in protest.
At AMMA, it is business as usual. Superstar Mohanlal- the new patriarch
(read President) of the Association and his executive committee have no
qualms about welcoming an alleged rapist into the association.
The first decision Mohanlal took after taking over as President of AMMA was
to re-induct the rape-accused actor Dileep. What is disturbing is that
Mohanlal claims that it was a unanimous decision.
We appeal to the conscience of the members of the Association to retract
their ill-considered re-induction of the 'rape-accused actor'.
Please share this appeal on your social media networks. (A draft of the
letter we are planning to send is added below.)
We also appeal to Industry Associations like #IDPA (Indian Documentary
Producers' Association), #SWA (Script Writers' Association), #FFSI
(Federation of Film Societies of India)...
Students bodies, Academics, Artists... all concerned citizens.
Please lend your voice to this protest.
Gender, profession and nationality no bar.
All support is welcome.
Send us your Name, profession and city by email to:
***@gmail.com
***@gmail.com
#
___________________________________________________________________________
The draft of the letter to AMMA:
Dear Mr Mohanlal and Executive Committee members of AMMA,
We live in difficult times.
Rape, misogyny and violence against women are on the rise.
Especially in the film industry.
As the President of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes, you have a
window of opportunity to strike at the very root of misogyny in your sphere
of influence- which goes as wide as the viewership of the films Malayalam
Film Industry produces.
You are a popular star. Viewers young and old â follow your films. Their
gaze naturally follows your off-screen actions. You can inspire them to
walk the path of progressive values- like giving women the rights and
respect that are due to them in any civilised society. Your inspiration can
goad them to work towards creating an environment where safety of women is
not a mere slogan.
The recent decision of your Executive committee to re-induct the
'rape-accused' actor Dileep is not something that sends a positive message
to your fans or to the women colleagues AMMA should have been in the
vanguard of.
Some members of the Women's Cinema Collective resigned from AMMA in
protest. This should have sent the alarm bells ringing that something was
seriously wrong with the first decision your executive committee took after
taking over.
To think of it, the worst #MeToo incident was not in Hollywood. It was in
Kerala, and Dileep is alleged to have paid a gang to abduct and molest your
colleague and popular woman film actor.
The world expected you to take umbrage at this violent and criminal act.
The nation expected you to be firmly behind the survivor till justice is
served.
Sadly, what happened was the opposite.
The case is still in the court of law. Please retract your support for
Dileep and block his re-induction into AMMA.
We also appeal to AMMA to support the survivor so that she can continue to
get work with dignity. The vicious attack is a scar that will take time to
heal, but the feeling of being let down by her male colleagues is
unbearably suffocating.
All of us mouth politically correct and progressive thoughts. Our actions
should speak louder than words.
'Amma' stands for 'mother' in many tongues. Your concerted efforts can
ensure that AMMA stands for making the profession safe for women in Films
and Television.
Let us make the world a safer place for women, so that there is no need for
a slogan like 'Beti-bachao'.
In solidarity with the women in Film and television,
Signed:
Concerned artists and citizens of India.
Names, profession and location: (We hope to meet you in this space)...
#CondemnAMMA #SupportWCC #CleanUpTheStars
<https://about.me/quark.workshops?promo=email_sig&utm_source=product&utm_medium=email_sig&utm_campaign=gmail_api&utm_content=thumb>
Quark Workshops
about.me/quark.workshops
<https://about.me/quark.workshops?promo=email_sig&utm_source=product&utm_medium=email_sig&utm_campaign=gmail_api&utm_content=thumb>
There are times when poets and artists know that their pens, brushes and
cameras will not suffice. Fists clenched, they need to stand up and lend
their voice to shatter the deafening silence.
These are such times.
Rape, misogyny and violence against women are on the rise.
Especially in the film industry. Yet, glaring instances of violence against
women raise few eyebrows and fewer fists.
The worst #MeToo incident did not take place in America.
It was in Kerala.
Dileep- a popular star of the Malayalam film industry allegedly paid a gang
to abduct and molest a senior actor. She survived to tell the tale, but her
ordeal did not end there.
The male-dominated Film industry continues to block her from getting work,
and treats her as an outcast.
Dileep- the ârape-accused film star' got bail after three months. While the
case is still in the courts, his suspension was recently revoked and he was
welcomed back into AMMA- (Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes), in
Kerala.
Both the 'accused' and the 'survivor' belonged to AMMA.
At this brazen misogyny, four senior women members of the association
resigned in protest.
At AMMA, it is business as usual. Superstar Mohanlal- the new patriarch
(read President) of the Association and his executive committee have no
qualms about welcoming an alleged rapist into the association.
The first decision Mohanlal took after taking over as President of AMMA was
to re-induct the rape-accused actor Dileep. What is disturbing is that
Mohanlal claims that it was a unanimous decision.
We appeal to the conscience of the members of the Association to retract
their ill-considered re-induction of the 'rape-accused actor'.
Please share this appeal on your social media networks. (A draft of the
letter we are planning to send is added below.)
We also appeal to Industry Associations like #IDPA (Indian Documentary
Producers' Association), #SWA (Script Writers' Association), #FFSI
(Federation of Film Societies of India)...
Students bodies, Academics, Artists... all concerned citizens.
Please lend your voice to this protest.
Gender, profession and nationality no bar.
All support is welcome.
Send us your Name, profession and city by email to:
***@gmail.com
***@gmail.com
#
___________________________________________________________________________
The draft of the letter to AMMA:
Dear Mr Mohanlal and Executive Committee members of AMMA,
We live in difficult times.
Rape, misogyny and violence against women are on the rise.
Especially in the film industry.
As the President of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes, you have a
window of opportunity to strike at the very root of misogyny in your sphere
of influence- which goes as wide as the viewership of the films Malayalam
Film Industry produces.
You are a popular star. Viewers young and old â follow your films. Their
gaze naturally follows your off-screen actions. You can inspire them to
walk the path of progressive values- like giving women the rights and
respect that are due to them in any civilised society. Your inspiration can
goad them to work towards creating an environment where safety of women is
not a mere slogan.
The recent decision of your Executive committee to re-induct the
'rape-accused' actor Dileep is not something that sends a positive message
to your fans or to the women colleagues AMMA should have been in the
vanguard of.
Some members of the Women's Cinema Collective resigned from AMMA in
protest. This should have sent the alarm bells ringing that something was
seriously wrong with the first decision your executive committee took after
taking over.
To think of it, the worst #MeToo incident was not in Hollywood. It was in
Kerala, and Dileep is alleged to have paid a gang to abduct and molest your
colleague and popular woman film actor.
The world expected you to take umbrage at this violent and criminal act.
The nation expected you to be firmly behind the survivor till justice is
served.
Sadly, what happened was the opposite.
The case is still in the court of law. Please retract your support for
Dileep and block his re-induction into AMMA.
We also appeal to AMMA to support the survivor so that she can continue to
get work with dignity. The vicious attack is a scar that will take time to
heal, but the feeling of being let down by her male colleagues is
unbearably suffocating.
All of us mouth politically correct and progressive thoughts. Our actions
should speak louder than words.
'Amma' stands for 'mother' in many tongues. Your concerted efforts can
ensure that AMMA stands for making the profession safe for women in Films
and Television.
Let us make the world a safer place for women, so that there is no need for
a slogan like 'Beti-bachao'.
In solidarity with the women in Film and television,
Signed:
Concerned artists and citizens of India.
Names, profession and location: (We hope to meet you in this space)...
#CondemnAMMA #SupportWCC #CleanUpTheStars
<https://about.me/quark.workshops?promo=email_sig&utm_source=product&utm_medium=email_sig&utm_campaign=gmail_api&utm_content=thumb>
Quark Workshops
about.me/quark.workshops
<https://about.me/quark.workshops?promo=email_sig&utm_source=product&utm_medium=email_sig&utm_campaign=gmail_api&utm_content=thumb>