Sreelekha Mitra: The release of the Justice Hema Committee report has put the South Indian film industry under intense scrutiny. Almost daily, new allegations and issues concerning South cinema come to light. Now, Bengali actress Sreelekha Mitra has accused a South Indian director of sexual harassment, further adding to the industry’s growing controversies. Let’s delve into who this actress is and how the accused director has responded to these allegations.
Who Made the Allegations?
Bengali actress Sreelekha Mitra has recently made headlines after accusing Malayalam filmmaker Ranjith of sexual harassment. Mitra brought this issue to light at a time when the Justice Hema Committee report was already shocking the public. In an interview with Asianet News, she shared her experience.
The 2009 Incident
During the interview, Sreelekha Mitra recounted an incident from 2009 when she auditioned for the film “Paleri Manikyam: Oru Pathirakolapathakathinte Katha.” She claimed that during this time, director Ranjith sexually harassed her. Mitra described how she was standing on the balcony of Ranjith’s bedroom, engrossed in a phone conversation with a cinematographer, when Ranjith approached and touched the bangles on her hand.
“He Stroked My Neck,” Says Mitra
Mitra further explained that she felt extremely uncomfortable when Ranjith began to stroke her neck. Frightened, she quickly left the room. The actress mentioned that after the incident, she was so scared that she couldn’t bring herself to tell anyone about it. Even after returning to her hotel room, she was fearful and anxiously waited for the sunrise.
Ranjith Denies the Allegations
In response to the allegations, director Ranjith has denied all accusations, calling them false. He stated that he is the real victim in this situation.