Noted Malayalam actor and producer Siddique on Sunday resigned as general secretary of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA) following allegations of sexual assault by a female actor on August 24. In a statement, Siddique confirmed that he had submitted his resignation letter to AMMA president Mohanlal. “Yes, I have submitted my formal resignation to the president of the organisation, Mohanlal. Since there were allegations against me, I decided not to continue in the post and have resigned,” Siddique said.

The female actor alleged that Siddique sexually assaulted her after he invited her for a film discussion. The allegations come amid increased scrutiny in the Malayalam film industry following the Justice Hema Committee report, which highlighted widespread issues of harassment and exploitation in the industry.

A day ago, Siddique spoke about the Hema Committee Report during the media interaction and said, “There was a high power committee which was constituted ten years ago with representatives from all film related associations in the state. We are not sure whether that is what was mentioned.”

“There is no such power lobby. No lobby can control cinema in any way. How can an industry function when there is a group that controls all aspects? If there was such a power group, there would be no good cinema. Ever since the report came out, there have been allegations that label the entire Malayalam film industry and its people as bad, which is painful. Every sector has problems, but no one is coming up with comments that tarnish the entire sector,” he added.

ICYDK: The report has come to the fore in highlighting the severe discrimination and exploitation faced by women actors in the industry. From the prevalence of the casting couch and lack of basic amenities on film sets to pay disparities and ostracism for refusing to comply with the demands of abusers, the report has exposed the dark side of the industry. This three-member committee, headed by former Kerala High Court judge K Hema, with veteran actor T Sarada and retired IAS officer KB Valsalakumari as members, was set up by the Kerala government in July 2017.

Last week, the Kerala High Court had allowed the report to be published on condition that names and sensitive information would be redacted to protect the identities of those involved. Despite several attempts to delay its publication, the 295-page report was made public on Monday. However, 63 pages of the original 295-page report were redacted before its publication under the RTI Act. It details the level of control exercised by the so-called “mafia”, which allegedly silences anyone who dares to file a complaint, exposing them to severe repercussions.

On the work front, Siddique has appeared in over 300 Malayalam films. He has also acted in Tamil films like Jana and Bhaskar Oru Rascal.