Dubai-based actor, RJ Mithun: How cliques, #MeToo allegations expose Malayalam cinema's secrets

Gulf News

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00:00Good afternoon, this is Manjusha Radhakrishnan from Gulf News, I'm the entertainment editor.

00:08Today I have Dubai based actor Mithun and RJ who's speaking to us about a very grim issue

00:14about the Me Too movement that's gathering traction in the Malayalam film industry.

00:20For those who don't know, there was a HEMA committee findings which pointed towards sexual

00:25abuse, casting couch and powerful cliques operating in the Malayalam film industry.

00:30Several women have come forward calling out alleged predators.

00:34Mithun, I just wanted an understanding about it, you are a male, have you found any set

00:43unsafe for women?

00:44I don't know, see the major thing is when I came in, I came in by around 2000 when I

00:49started in the industry.

00:50I was around 18, 18-19 at that point, so see at that point it's too fascinating for you,

00:57too fascinating for you, too entertaining for you and you've heard these stories, you

01:02are actually also looking around, oh something like that is going to happen.

01:08So anyway at that point of time I was never actually even aware of these things at that

01:13point.

01:14We have all heard stories from our childhood saying that cinema is not safe, cinema is

01:18not good for women.

01:20So I mean I was also of the same impression, see the whole, I would always say, all of

01:25us maybe after the Me Too movement and everything that happened out in Hollywood, we all had

01:30a reboot happen right, till a point in which we were not actually, we were all in a very

01:36patriarchal society, we never used to consider these things as, we used to consider these

01:41things normal.

01:42Yeah, we normalized not having women on set.

01:44Which is not a right thing to happen, but I think we all grew up in a society where

01:49we had to be transformed after some time because all of us were, I wouldn't say all of us,

01:53a lot of us were actually going through a path which was not safe for women.

01:57Okay.

01:58And we used to think that it was very normal.

02:00So there had to be a correction force where we had to actually reboot our thinking and

02:04think that, oh you're not supposed to be thinking like this, you have to actually have a thought

02:08in which the people around you, the women around you are safe.

02:11Okay.

02:12You also need to step up if the women around you are not safe.

02:16So when I came into the industry and maybe even I took a higher position in the industry,

02:21that was a point in which this was all considered very normal.

02:24So we never knew these were issues at one point.

02:28So now when you look back at it, yeah, there were a lot of issues.

02:31There were a lot of things, there were a lot of, what do you call, adults jokes, people

02:36you actually used to crack in front of crowds, which at that point was very normal for a

02:4420 year old, 21 year old.

02:46But now when I look back at it and I think, oh, I think how uncomfortable would have that

02:52lady been.

02:53And if it was today, she would have reacted.

02:56So when we actually, I mean, going into a question and when we actually look at people

03:01who are actually opening up and we are saying that, oh, this was something that happened

03:05years back, but this is the time that you can open up and think that, yeah, I actually

03:09went through it and now I can speak up without being in the fear of being considered a woman

03:19in the wrong way.

03:20I don't know a better way to put it, but that's how it is now.

03:25Okay.

03:26But Nitin, you are also friends with all these men, in fact, Jai Surya, et cetera, who have

03:29all been named Mukesh, Siddhi.

03:32How do you feel as an actor who's also, you are in a difficult position right now, I'm

03:37thinking, because you're friends with them on one hand, do you, do you think it was long

03:41time coming though, them being called out?

03:44I don't know.

03:45I mean, the first thing that I would say is, see, when the Dileep issue happened, if you

03:50could actually say that, we were thinking, is it true or not?

03:54We still debate, right?

03:55We still debate with friends because see, Manjusha, I know you as a person.

04:01I know you when we are talking to each other, when we are actually among each other, we

04:06have discussed a lot of things under the sun, but do I really know your side, where you

04:13do things, which are totally pure physical satisfaction or your mental satisfaction?

04:18See, those things are absolutely your own, right?

04:21Okay.

04:22You don't know your relatives even.

04:23Yeah.

04:24Most people, most child predators are relatives is what I've seen from all the statistics

04:29that we have.

04:30So do you really think that anyone working along with each other would really know their

04:35fetishes and fantasies?

04:36Okay.

04:37But it didn't happen in front of you?

04:39Never, right?

04:40Never.

04:41I mean, to the extent of the friendship that I have with it, this is not a point in which

04:46we have actually discussed anything of this sort, right?

04:49Okay.

04:50You have not witnessed it or you don't?

04:51I have not.

04:52I have not actually seen anything.

04:53Okay.

04:54I mean, that's what I said.

04:55I mean, in my, in the years that I was in the movies, like a long time, there have been

05:01a lot of instances which I've seen, which are, which were considered funny.

05:04The two guys, or I mean, the two, a girl and a guy were like hooking up or like, they were

05:09actually together, like trying to like escape from the crowd.

05:13We thought of it as funny, right?

05:15We were all in the same age.

05:17We never thought that, oh, this is problematic, this is a problem, and this is something that

05:21has to be addressed.

05:22Never, right?

05:23Okay.

05:24The concept of consent came in long later.

05:26Why I would say that?

05:27Because when we were in college, we thought, okay, that's how we start, but we didn't know.

05:33Okay.

05:34I'm saying, the reboot happened to all of us a long way later because we were not brought

05:39up in homes like that.

05:40Right, right.

05:41We were not actually told that this is wrong and this is right.

05:43Right, right.

05:44We used to have a lot of grey hair.

05:45See, how would you actually approach a woman even, like, this is something that we're not

05:49taught, right?

05:50Okay.

05:51Okay.

05:52We saw what our parents did, what our elders did, what our adults did.

05:55Okay.

05:56Fair enough.

05:57So, if you ask me, oh, yeah, you should have actually thought of that at that point.

06:00No, I wouldn't.

06:01Uh-huh.

06:02I was not brought up like that.

06:03Right.

06:04I had to change my ways after seeing the world.

06:05I see.

06:06So, of all the names that have come out now, were you surprised by a few or no?

06:10Or are you watching this developing story just like all of us?

06:13I am watching this developing story exactly like all of you are.

06:16I'm really surprised at a lot of names.

06:19I've seen a very, how would I call it, like, very dictatorial stance taken by a few of

06:24them.

06:25Yes.

06:26But I've not seen them take it out on women, if you know what I mean.

06:31Like, if it is a set.

06:33Okay.

06:34They're strict on the set.

06:35Strict on the set.

06:36It's different from being abusive on the set.

06:37Yeah, that's the thing, right?

06:38So, I've seen them actually scold people on the sets, where they have actually said, no,

06:43you have to do it right.

06:45But that doesn't mean that it was, I mean, now when you listen to that, you think that,

06:50maybe this reaction was generated because something that happened yesterday.

06:54It's not something that we know.

06:56No, somebody is being scolded.

06:57You don't know they're being penalized.

06:58Yeah, we thought that this happened because they're not giving the same result that they

07:03needed.

07:04But now, when you look back and think, maybe this happened because yesterday it was not

07:10in their favor.

07:11Oh, wow.

07:12So, what is the way forward, Mithun?

07:14I mean, now, I mean, reforms are likely to happen.

07:17Names are going to come out.

07:19The only thing that I'm worried about is, see, once this happens and a chain of things

07:25happen, finally, this gets lost after some time.

07:29Yes.

07:30See, this has to be taken to court.

07:33The punishments have to happen.

07:36Very rightfully, they have to be tried in the lawful way possible.

07:41What is going to happen is, they're going to say this, I mean, anyone who comes out

07:47and says this, they know, because of the judicial system that is existing in our country

07:51and the way anyone around, all our patriarchal society treats them, they will not move forward

07:57to the complaint.

07:58What will happen is, it will go to a naming and shaming bit, and then that's it.

08:03The right action has to be taken.

08:05It has to be taken to law.

08:07Courts have to get involved.

08:09Even if the women who come forward are not ready to lodge a complaint, courts have in

08:16their ruling in a way in which they can take their own point of view.

08:20So if they do that, then we see a lot of change happening.

08:25See, we saw what happened in Hollywood.

08:27Yes.

08:28See, suddenly we saw women taking stands everywhere.

08:31There was a pattern of behavior charted.

08:33Absolutely.

08:34He had an M.O.

08:35Like if Siddique has an M.O. or Jai Surya, for instance, outside the bathroom, whatever

08:40it is, like there will be a pattern of behavior, predatory behavior displayed.

08:45And the thing is, see, we are already saying that, I mean, even when they are just accused

08:50or even when women have just spoken out, we are already saying that they have an M.O.

08:54We should also give them a chance.

08:56The benefit of doubt.

08:57The benefit of doubt, where they have to actually come out and say that, see, like Jai Surya

09:02said yesterday, I'm not going to take this.

09:04When it goes to court, I'll answer to it.

09:07See, essentially what they did, I mean, the way they actually took away from their questions

09:13is absolutely the right way to go.

09:15Because if they are in a position of strength, position of power, they can actually meddle

09:20with the whole thing in any which way.

09:22So it's better that Ranjit step down, better that Siddique step down.

09:25They can't hold powerful positions while being accused of a crime.

09:28If you're being accused of something, I always think, take a step back, go through the investigations

09:34and then come back.

09:35Right.

09:36Prove your innocence and come back.

09:37Right.

09:38Have you ever witnessed power cliques where work has been denied to you because you are

09:42not friends with that person?

09:44See, that's everywhere, right?

09:46That's everywhere.

09:47You cannot single out Malayalam film industry or any film industry for that matter and say

09:51that if you're not friends with that person, you don't get the job because it was intended

09:55to you.

09:56It's not there.

09:57See, companionship, it's people working together as a family, going together.

10:02If you're not comfortable, definitely it won't go forward.

10:06So there might be points in which you are actually taken instead of another person or

10:10taken away because of another person just because you don't click with the people.

10:14Yeah, but you have never been propositioned.

10:16Not ever.

10:17Okay.

10:18Yesterday, we all spoke about this, what I would say.

10:21This is the start.

10:23This is the start.

10:24I hope it goes in the right direction.

10:26Yeah.

10:27And take a page from Malayalam film industry, the other film industries have to learn as well.

10:31For sure.

10:32For sure.

10:33It's a starting point.

10:34You never know what will come.

10:35Hopefully reforms.

10:36Sure.

10:37That's the thing.

10:38Thank you so much for talking to us.

10:40Bye.

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