Actor Dileep’s arrest uncovers the dark underbelly of Malayalam cinema
When Malayalam superstar Dileep was brought to the Aluva subjail near Kochi after his arrest, the waiting mob chanted, “Welcome to Central Jail,” the title of a 2016 movie he starred in that would come to haunt him a year later. The arrest capped five months of investigations into a sordid case, where a contract goon kidnapped and sexually abused a popular actress. The case shocked Kerala and became another challenge for an already embattled state police and the Pinarayi Vijayan government.
While the arrest comes as a major victory for the victim and her family, it is also a muchneeded boost for the Kerala police, whose image had taken a beating after a series of goof ups in highprofile cases. The arrest came as a big blow to the Malayalam actors’ guild, AMMA, which had stood by Dileep, its major fundraiser. It also sent tremors through the Malayalam film industry—where 119 movies were made in 2016— and exposed the slimy underbelly of the stardriven industry.
This story is from the July 24, 2017 edition of India Today.
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This story is from the July 24, 2017 edition of India Today.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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