Parvathy Says Ranjith's Arrest In Sexual Assault Case Is 'Not A Surprise': It's A Repeated Offence

Malayalam filmmaker Ranjith Balakrishnan was recently arrested by Kochi police following a complaint filed by a female actor over sexual assault charges. This is the second case against Ranjith after 2024. Actress Parvathy Thiruvothu has reacted to Ranjith’s arrest, saying she is not surprised at his arrest.

Parvathy Thiruvothu on Ranjith's arrest in sexual assault case

Parvathy Thiruvothu, one of the founding members of the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC), in an interview with News18 Showsha said, “This current arrest of Ranjith doesn’t come across as a surprise or shock to me. It, of course, is a repeated offence. These are people who aren’t paying the price of what they did in the past.”

“People can keep debating on this. We need to live, get work, be activists, carry the weight of these questions, earn money and stay relevant! ‘Thak gayi main’: Kareena Kapoor Khan recently said this in the context of something else. After that, I keep quoting her. I’m really tired,” added the two-time Kerala State Award-winning actor.

The actress also said that “in the name of punishment, what we get is performance, adding that “when the Hema Committee report came out, people questioned the victims for not coming forward. She said it was because the moment they come out, they will be deprived of work.”

Parvathy on survivors' challenges

The National Award-winning actress also stated that survivors “can’t make money to feed their families. How many women can afford that unless they come from money? These cases go on throughout their lives.”

She also shared that their “grassroots level reality isn’t understood by people,” who want 'sensationalism' and names to come out.

The actress claimed that people don’t want justice to be served. “The fact that there’s a real human being on the other side isn’t considered by the law, the public and the media,” she added.

On WCC's policies

The Uyare star said the collective has worked very hard to bring change to say that "ICC is a normal and required thing on a film set."

"I’m not seeking allies anymore. I’m seeking tangible solutions. Unfortunately, nothing is your problem until it impacts you. One would wonder why the report was kept under wraps for four-and-a-half years while the abuses continued. This is exactly why there’s no fear of consequence," she said further.