Ace Malayalam filmmaker Ranjith stepped down as chairman of the state-run Kerala Chalachitra Academy today, following public outcry for his resignation after a Bengali actor accused him of misbehaving with her.

Ranjith communicated his decision to Cultural Affairs Minister Saji Cherian, stating that he is unwilling to continue in the position in light of the allegations against him.

The actor told the media that Ranjith had misbehaved with her when she was invited to his residence to discuss a project in 2009.

She said she felt uncomfortable after he made “subtle advances” and that she left Kerala the following day.

Ranjith denied the accusations, explaining that the actor was called for an audition for the movie ‘Paleri Manikyam’, but he decided that she was not suitable for the role and sent her back.

Kerala opposition leader V D Satheeshan, State BJP president K Surendran, and Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee president K Sudhakaran have demanded Ranjith’s resignation from the academy.

The Left Front alliance partner Communist Party of India (CPI) has also called for the resignation of Ranjith and the youth wing of the CPI, All India Youth Federation (AIYF) announced a protest march before Kerala Chalachitra Academy on August 26 if Ranjith did not put in his papers.

Malayalam film actors Anoop Chandran and Jayan Cherthala also called for Ranjith’s resignation.

On Aug 24, Cherian had defended director Ranjith.

(This story was taken from a syndicated feed and was only edited for style by Gujarat Samachar Digital staff)

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