Superstar' Mohanlal today said actor Dileep, an accused in the actress sexual assault case, would stay out of industry body AMMA till his innocence is proved, as he sought to allay apprehensions raised by some Malayalam actresses on the issue. "We are with that girl. From the very beginning of the case, we are with her," Mohanlal told reporters.
"Dileep is out of the AMMA fold both technically and legally since he himself had stated that he no longer wishes to be a part of it," Mohanlal said. He also expressed hope that Dileep would come clear in the case.
After attending an executive committee meeting of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes, chaired by him as president, Mohanlal said there was no dissenting voice from any actor when the decision to take Dileep back in AMMA's fold was taken by its general body meeting held last month. He said Dileep would not have been taken back had there been any voice of dissent at the meeting.
Mohanlal said the Dileep issue had created a lot of problems for AMMA and it had once come to the verge of a split. Dileep had been expelled from the primary membership of the association after allegations surfaced over his alleged involvement in the attack on the actress last year. Mohanlal's statement is reportedly seen as a bid by the association to pacify the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC), an organisation formed last year in protest against AMMA's alleged pro-Dileep stand in the case.
Mohanlal had courted controversy after the very first meeting chaired by him as AMMA president decided to take back Dileep into the association. The new leadership was prepared to examine the sentiments expressed by the WCC on Dileep's reinstatement, Mohanlal had said. "If corrections are needed, it would be made," the actor said.
The South Indian actress, who was allegedly sexually assaulted in a moving car last year, had resigned from the association last month, alleging that it had failed to stand by her during the crisis. Extending their solidarity with her, three prominent Malayalam actresses -- Remya Nambeesan, Reema Kallingal and Geethu Mohandas -- also announced their decision to quit the AMMA on the same day. Several other actresses also followed suit later.
They resigned from AMMA after its general body meeting decided to take back Dileep into its fold. As the issue snowballed into a major controversy, Dileep informed the association that he was not keen to become an active worker in the organisation until his innocence was proved. The actor was arrested on charges of conspiracy in the case related to the abduction and sexual assault of the actress in February 2017 and later released on bail.
