NEW DELHI: Terrified for her safety, Indian actress Sreelekha Mitra remembers pushing chairs and a sofa against her hotel door after she said an award-winning veteran director sexually harassed her.
Mitra waited 15 years to speak out about the incident, one of several cases exposing the dark underbelly of India’s Malayalam-language “Mollywood” film industry that has won awards at Cannes.
Her revelation was spurred by an explosive government report documenting widespread sexual harassment in an industry dominated by powerful and wealthy men who believe that an actress willing to kiss on screen would do the same in real life.
“That entire night I stayed awake,” Mitra, 51, told AFP.
Mitra was invited to a gathering at the director’s house, where she said he lured her into his room for a phone call with a cinematographer.
“He started playing with my hair and neck... I knew if I did not say anything then, his hand would roam around other parts of my body,” she said, describing events from 2009, when she was 36.
She left and returned to her hotel.
“The intentions behind his moves were pretty clear to me... I was petrified.”
Her case and close to a dozen others have triggered a MeToo reckoning in the industry, with at least 10 prominent figures accused, according to Indian media.
Kerala-based Mollywood is known for critically acclaimed movies with strong and progressive themes, a change from the big dance and song numbers of India’s giant Hindi-language Bollywood in Mumbai.
The industry is prolific, producing up to 200 films a year, loved not only by southern India’s 37 million Malayalam speakers, but also dubbed and streamed across the rest of India and abroad.
Internationally, its films have won awards, including the 1999 satire Marana Simhasanam (“Throne of Death“), winner of the Camera d’Or at Cannes.
This year’s “Manjummel Boys,” a survival thriller, took $29 million at the box office, the highest-grossing Malayalam movie ever and the fifth-most successful in India this year.
The industry report, released August 19, said women actors faced the widespread “worst evil” of sexual harassment.
The report was released by the Hema Committee, headed by a former high court judge, set up after a leading Malayalam actress reported she was sexually assaulted in 2017.
Gopalakrishnan Padmanabhan, a prominent Malayalam actor better known by his stage name Dileep, was arrested for allegedly orchestrating the assault.
He was imprisoned for three months before being released on bail. The case continues.
But the release of the report has opened discussion on the far wider issue of chronic violence against women, encouraging people like Mitra to speak out in public for the first time.
It said that women who considered speaking out about sexual assault were silenced by threats to their life, and to their families.
Award-winning actress Parvathy Thiruvothu, 36, called the investigation a “game changer” and a “historic moment.”
“There was this idea that women working in the industry should feel grateful for having been given an opportunity by the men who were hiring them,” said Thiruvothu, a member of the campaign group Women in Cinema Collective.
Allegations of abuse in Indian cinema are not new.
It witnessed a wave in 2018, shortly after the 2017 MeToo movement erupted in Hollywood against disgraced US movie producer Harvey Weinstein.
But Thiruvothu called the latest allegations more than “MeToo Part Two.”
“It’s shaking everything,” she told AFP. “It isn’t an individual-to-individual complaint anymore. It’s about a systemic structure that has continued to fail women.”
Since the report, several top actors have been accused.
The Association of Malayalam Movie Artists was dissolved following the resignation of its chief on “moral grounds” with some members among the accused.
Ranjith Balakrishnan, 59, chairman of the state’s film academy, has also quit.
Balakrishnan, who denies any wrongdoing, was the man Mitra accused of sexual harassment.
Police have filed a case against him for outraging a woman’s modesty, a non-bailable offense.
Mitra, who until the release of the report had only mentioned the incident to an industry colleague, told AFP that Balakrishnan had misused “his power.”
Thiruvothu offered a message to all women in the film industry who have survived sexual assault.
“You are a skilled artist... do not listen to anyone who tells you to find another job if it is so difficult for you,” she said.
“This is your industry, as much as it is anybody else’s. Speak up, so that we are taking the space that is rightfully ours.”
India’s ‘Mollywood’ cinema rocked by MeToo abuse claims
https://arab.news/zg8eu
India’s ‘Mollywood’ cinema rocked by MeToo abuse claims
- Explosive government report has documented widespread sexual harassment in an industry dominated by powerful and wealthy men
- Case of Sreelekha Mitra and close to a dozen others have triggered a MeToo reckoning in the industry, with 10 prominent figures accused
Spike Lee to preside over Red Sea International Film Festival jury
DUBAI: Academy Award-winning filmmaker Spike Lee – known for films like “Malcom X” and “BlacKkKlansman” – will preside over the Red Sea Internation Film Festival’s Red Sea: Features Competition Jury this year.
The fourth edition of the festival will take place in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, from Dec. 5 - 14, in Jeddah’s Old Town of Al Balad.
The Red Sea: Features competition will showcase the highest achievements from a diverse range of filmmakers from the Arab region, Asia and Africa. Sixteen features have been selected to showcase the most compelling, unique and impressive work from the past year, with the winners being selected by Lee and the rest of the jury to receive the coveted Yusr Awards.
In 2023, the Golden Yusr for Best Feature Film was awarded to “In Flames,” directed by Zarrar Khan.
Lee will also participate in the festival’s In Conversation strand, which welcomes industry luminaries from all over the world to share insights and have meaningful discussions about their practice, passions and stories.
Jomana Al Rashid, Chairwoman of the Red Sea Film Foundation, said in a statement: “Looking towards our fourth edition, we’re honoured to welcome the legendary Spike Lee as our President of Jury for the festival this year. Spike is a pioneering director whose iconic work has made a lasting impact on both film as a medium and culture at large. His energy, incisiveness and genuine championing of creativity and new voices makes him an ideal fit to lead our jury for this year - we look forward to him engaging with the burgeoning talent in our competition line up.”
Lee added: “Having been lucky enough to experience first-hand the incredible filmmaking, atmosphere and creativity at the Red Sea International Film Festival in 2022, it's a privilege to be returning this year as President of the Jury. Alongside creating a melting pot for cultures to come together in celebration of our important art-form, it's vital to continue to platform young and emerging filmmakers who are finding their voice in the industry, and it's exciting to see first-time directors from across the Arab region, Asia and Africa as part of the Competition lineup this year. I'm looking forward to diving in to the programme and making what I'm sure will be some very tough decisions alongside the leading luminaries on the jury.”
‘Marvels of Saudi Orchestra’ heads to Tokyo
- The Saudi National Orchestra and Choir’s global tour reaches Japan
DUBAI: The Saudi National Orchestra and Choir is on a mission to build a bridge between the Kingdom and the rest of the world, one musical collaboration at a time.
Having already performed its musical showcase “Marvels of Saudi Orchestra” in Paris, Mexico City, New York and London, the orchestra will perform at Tokyo Opera City on Nov. 22.
The evening’s performance will feature the Saudi National Orchestra and Choir performing alongside Japan’s Gagaku Orchestra Imperial Court Music and the Orchestra Academy of Tokyo College of Music. The collaborative program will showcase traditional Saudi pieces and classical Japanese music. Renowned Japanese guitarist Hotei will also deliver a special guest performance.
In an interview with Arab News, Saudi Music Commission CEO Paul Pacifico attributed the idea of taking the Saudi orchestra on a world tour to Minister of Culture Prince Badr bin Abdullah bin Farhan, and cited a dual purpose behind the program.
“The first opportunity is international. It’s about taking the best of Saudi culture to the world and showing the world what Saudi culture is about. Most people around the world haven’t heard Saudi music, so this is a new experience,” Pacifico said.
“The second part of this is about showing Saudi people how Saudi culture can be received worldwide, and how Saudi music can take its place on any of the world’s greatest stages with the world’s greatest cultural organizations. And really to take pride in seeing Saudi culture celebrated and validated in that way,” he added.
Composed and arranged by Saudi Arabian maestro Rami Bashih with the support of Japanese maestro Hirofumi Yoshida, the Tokyo performance is an ode to Japanese and Saudi musical traditions.
“I hope this performance will deepen the Tokyo audience’s understanding of different cultures through music and serve as a catalyst for building new cultural ties between Saudi Arabia and Japan. This concert brings together distinct musical cultures on a single stage, offering the audience a valuable experience to see music and culture from a fresh perspective,” Yoshida told Arab News.
“In the first and second parts of the program, the audience will enjoy a contrast between Saudi Arabia’s traditional music and the ancient Japanese court music, gagaku. In the third part, they will experience cultural harmony through a joint performance by musicians from both countries,” he continued.
Both the Japanese and Saudi orchestras have had to rehearse online ahead of the big day.
“The Saudi Music Commission and Japan’s Rising Sun Opera Foundation have held numerous remote meetings and organized advance visits from the Saudi side to prepare for this event in detail. We shared musical ideas online and made every effort to maximize our limited rehearsal time. Remote collaboration has been a new challenge, but by sharing a strong passion for music, we’ve been able to overcome the distance and foster meaningful cooperation,” said Yoshida.
Yoshida is no stranger to Saudi Arabia, either. In 2017, he led the first performance by a full Japanese orchestra in the Kingdom.
“I was deeply impressed by the enthusiastic applause, especially from young people, after each piece. Feeling the energy in the hall, I became certain that culture and the arts would flourish in Saudi Arabia in the near future. This experience showed me the potential for Saudi musical culture to continue growing and be shared with even more people around the world,” he said.
For Pacifico, the opportunity to take Saudi music to yet another cultural capital is exciting.
“There are so many rich collaborations in all of these cultures that we visited and hope to visit — whether that was the Carlos Chavez Orchestra in Mexico City, the Dizzy Gillespie All Stars in New York, or the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra in London, every time we make a stop, we look to collaborate with the best cultural ambassadors from that city. And the cities haven’t let us down,” said Pacifico. “They’ve really exceeded our expectations. And, again, in two ways: the way the musicians have blended together and the audience reaction — how welcoming people have been, how interested and culturally curious to discover Saudi music, and the feedback has been incredible.
“So much of what we do is about programs, KPIs… the technical work of government. But ‘Marvels of Saudi Orchestra’ brings it to a very human level. It’s about people connecting, and it’s that human connection that stands out to me,” he continued. “That’s what surprises and delights me each time that we’ve done this, and I’m sure will continue to do so.”
Review: ‘Cross’ is a better-than-average gritty cop drama, thanks to Aldis Hodge
- Hodge stars as James Patterson’s tortured detective in new Amazon series
LONDON: In its admirably committed bid to monopolize the ‘gritty cop drama adapted from books you might buy for your dad’ market, Amazon has turned to James Patterson’s Washington DC-based detective (and forensic psychologist) Alex Cross to follow in the footsteps of previous hits “Reacher”, “Jack Ryan” and “Bosch.”
“Cross” (there’s a pattern here…) stars Aldis Hodge as the recently bereaved eponymous homicide detective. Assigned to investigate the murder of a prominent Black Lives Matter activist, our hero is all consummate professionalism and cerebral calmness as he attempts to unpick the increasingly sinister machinations of a deranged serial killer even as his bosses try to sweep the case under the carpet.
What makes “Cross” more interesting than a lot of airport-novel adaptations is that Alex is also working a second case, obsessed as he is with hunting the murderer of his wife, who was shot in broad daylight a little over a year earlier. And when it comes to that case, he is neither a consummate professional nor cerebrally calm.
The details of the two cases are better left unpacked here — spoiling the developments of either would be a shame — but it’s safe to say the show’s MVP is Hodge (“One Night in Miami”, “Black Adam”). The detective is, at times, more like two characters — one striving to deliver justice for his city, the other bent on nothing more than revenge and a desire to keep his family safe. And Hodge deserves plaudits for his portrayals of both sides of Cross, even as the lines between the two begin to blur and overlap across the eight-episode stretch.
In fact, Hodge is so good, that it’s easy to forgive some of the show’s more cliché-riddled missteps. A couple of plot points arrive with much fanfare, only to slink out, unresolved; Alex’s supposedly masterful analytical superpowers tend to desert him when it suits the advancement of the story… There are other niggles, too. But, with a lead this charismatic — and closer to Patterson’s original Cross than the three previous film adaptations — and a supporting cast on their game, they’re all easy enough to overlook.
Sofia Boutella promotes BBC drama ‘SAS Rogue Heroes’
DUBAI: French Algerian actress Sofia Boutella took to social media to promote her latest project, season two of the BBC’s “SAS Rogue Heroes.”
The trailer for season two was released by the BBC this week, and Boutella took to Instagram to re-post a clip of the military drama that follows the exploits of the special forces unit of the British Army.
Created by Steven Knight (“Peaky Blinders”), series two rejoins British troops in spring 1943 during World War II.
Returning for series two are actors Jack O’Connell, Connor Swindells, Dominic West and Boutella, who plays French intelligence agent Eve Mansour.
Commissioned by the BBC, the show is based on Ben Macintyre’s best-selling book of the same name, with season two having been directed by Stephen Woolfenden.
Boutella most recently starred “The Killer’s Game,” which hit cinemas in September, and Netflix’s “Rebel Moon — Part 2: The Scargiver.”
In the sci-fi adventure — a sequel to last year’s “Rebel Moon — Part One: A Child of Fire” — a peaceful colony on the edge of a galaxy finds itself threatened by the armies of a tyrannical ruling force.
Kora, played by Boutella, has assembled a small band of warriors — outsiders, insurgents, peasants and orphans of war from different worlds.
Boutella drew on her history as an immigrant. She grew up in Algeria during its civil war and later moved to France and found herself navigating the complexities of adapting to a different culture.
“Having left Algeria young, when I go back there I don’t feel like I belong to Algeria. And then, in France, I don’t feel like I belong to France because I didn’t grow up there,” she told Arab News in a previous interview.
Boutella has learned to embrace her rootlessness, though. “I feel like I belong to this planet. I have the freedom to travel wherever I want, without any limitation,” she said. “But sometimes, I miss the proximity and attachment that people have to their country.”
Kora was not Algiers-born Boutella’s first role as a sword-wielding extraterrestrial. The actress, who at the age of 10 fled to Paris with her family during the Algerian civil war, is known for her breakout performance in the Oscar-nominated film, “Star Trek Beyond,” in which she portrayed the fierce alien warrior, Jaylah.
Review: ‘Gladiator II’ — entertaining, and a fun romp
RIYADH: After years of waiting, “Gladiator II,” a sequel to the epic saga “Gladiator” (2000), has finally hit the screen.
The film, released in VOX Cinemas, Saudi Arabia on Nov. 14, had a premiere at VOX Cinemas, Roshn Front in Riyadh on Tuesday evening.
Directed by legendary filmmaker Ridley Scott, “Gladiator II” continues the epic saga of power, intrigue and vengeance in Ancient Rome.
Starring Pedro Pascal, Joseph Quinn, Paul Mescal, Denzel Washington and Fred Hechinger, the action genre release offers full entertainment, and serves as a follow-up to Scott’s “Gladiator,” released almost 25 years ago.
Years after witnessing the death of the revered hero Maximus at the hands of his uncle, Lucius (Paul Mescal) is forced to enter the Colosseum after his home is conquered by the tyrannical emperors who now lead Rome with an iron fist.
With rage in his heart and the future of the empire at stake, Lucius must look to his past to find strength and honor to return the glory of Rome to its people.
With “Gladiator II” expected to have its work cut out trying to prove it can stand toe to toe with Scott’s highly regarded epic, the film is not exactly what fans have been expecting. It is no patch on the original, to be sure, but it is still a good fun time at the movies, with Mescal and Washington stealing the show. It is entertaining, and a fun romp.
Scott’s return to the Roman arena is something of a repeat, but it is still a thrilling spectacle and Mescal a formidable lead.
Set about 25 years after “Gladiator,” we are reintroduced to Lucius (Mescal), the now grown son of Lucilla (Connie Nielsen) and Maximus (Russell Crowe). He lives with his wife and child in Numidia as a respected warrior, but a far cry from his birthright. When a battalion of Roman soldiers, led by General Marcus Acacius (Pedro Pascal) invades his land, his wife is killed in the battle, resulting in Lucius’ capture and enslavement. Passed along, he ends up in Rome, seen as fodder for the masses.
Obviously inspired by the similar predicament of Maximus, Lucius quietly resolves to fight as a gladiator in the Colosseum. His silent reasoning and overwhelming abilities are noteworthy, capturing the attention of Macrinus (Denzel Washington), a former slave. Macrinus has designs on the throne of Rome, plotting to overthrow young emperors Caracalla (Fred Hechinger) and Geta (Joseph Quinn), taking Lucius under his wing in the process. As all of these people come together and realize Lucius’ connection; blood is spilt and lives are lost, but in the end Lucius takes his revenge.
“Gladiator II” is a good time at the multiplex, both for fans of the first one and those who do not have any extra affection.
