A woman film professional accusing filmmaker PT Kunju Muhammed of sexual misconduct says she is facing intense pressure to withdraw her complaint. She alleges delays, intimidation, and a system that appeared to side with the accused from the very beginning.
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When courage meets power, the fight becomes lonely. That is how a woman film professional from Kerala describes her situation today. After accusing veteran filmmaker PT Kunju Muhammed of sexual misconduct, she now says the real battle began not inside the police station, but outside it where she claims pressure, persuasion and silence followed her every step.
According to the survivor, she is being repeatedly asked to take back her complaint and “protect” the filmmaker. She says intermediaries have approached her from different sides urging her to reconsider the case.
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The reason they give, she claims, is not innocence but sympathy. She has been told that PT Kunju Muhammed is elderly and unwell and that pursuing the case would be “too harsh” on him.
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“I am being told again and again to let this go,” she said. “The pressure has become unbearable.”
The survivor has stated that the alleged misconduct took place during the film selection process at the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK). She claims that the filmmaker, who is also a former CPI-M lawmaker, behaved in an inappropriate and offensive manner.
Feeling violated and disturbed, she decided to approach the authorities and file a complaint. She says this decision was not easy but she believed speaking up was necessary.
However, the survivor now alleges that instead of receiving support, she faced emotional pressure and intimidation. She says she felt isolated almost immediately after coming forward.
More troubling, she claims that the system appeared to be leaning towards the accused from the very beginning.
According to her, the police delayed registering the case despite her repeated attempts. “No action was taken for several days,” she said. “Only after the issue came out in the media did the police finally register an FIR.”
The survivor also raised concerns about what happened after the case was registered. She alleged that authorities allowed enough time for the accused to seek anticipatory bail, showing a lack of urgency.
To her, this delay sent a clear message that the case was not being treated with seriousness it deserved.
The Women in Cinema Collective (WCC) has publicly criticised how the case has been handled. In a strong statement, the organisation pointed out that even after the survivor approached the Chief Minister’s Office, there was no direct response or intervention.
The WCC also questioned why the police took nearly eight days to register the FIR, despite having already recorded the survivor’s statement.
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