The #MeToo Movement Is a Fad: Mohanlal

The southern superstar makes a series of insensitive comments.

Actor Dileep (R) with Mohanlal (L). 

(Photo courtesy: Facebook)

Superstar Mohanlal announced at a press conference in UAE on 19 November that he believes the #MeToo movement is a fashion and a fad, and would only last for a few days.

According to The News Minute, the southern star and AMMA (Association of Malayalam Movie Artists) president said:

“Everyone knows everything that has happened. There is not much problem right now in Malayalam film industry. Just don’t say things and create problems. You cannot believe that #MeToo is a movement. It is a fad, it is changing into a fashion. Anything new, it will be alive for a few days. It can happen everywhere, not only in films, everywhere.”  

Mohanlal

Quizzed further by the media, Mohanlal said: “We [men] can also come out with Me Too, with gender, gender-wise, we should also start Me Too.”

Mohanlal was in UAE to launch his charity fundraiser Onnanu Nammal, which is set to take place on December 7. When asked if Dileep, accused of masterminding the abduction and sexual assault of a prominent woman actor, would be allowed to participate in the show, Mohanlal said:

“If he (Dileep) wants to participate, then he can… But since he’s not in the association anymore, that’s a question mark. Your answer lies in your question itself.”  

Under Mohanlal’s leadership, the association reinstated Dileep’s membership, from which the latter resigned after the ensuing controversy.

The media also asked the actor about whether the show would be more sensitive than AMMA Mazhavil, a sexist skit AMMA had put up in June which made fun of the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC). For the uninitiated, WCC was formed because AMMA doesn’t treat its women members equally. Mohanlal replied:

“Again, let me tell you that it’s your perception. We have no problems against WCC and AMMA is just a small club with its own set of rules. When you watch our programme, it’s your decision on how to perceive it. It’s your judgement and if you think that we are ridiculing you, then it’s your intelligence… We have never focused on such things. It’s their demand and intelligence that makes them feel that we have done something wrong.”  

(Source: The News Minute)