Actor Mallika Sukumaran has come out in support of Manju Warrier amid director Sanal Kumar Sasidharan‘s allegations that the actor is being held captive by a criminal network. Mallika Sukumaran praised Manju’s handling of the controversy and questioned the filmmaker’s claims during an interview with Movie World Media.
Mallika Sukumaran supports Manju Warrier
Mallika Sukumaran said she respected Manju’s approach to the controversy. She also noted that the actor had approached Kerala’s Chief Minister and Home Minister over the matter. Without naming Sanal Kumar Sasidharan directly, Mallika criticised the situation surrounding his protest outside the Secretariat.“In my opinion, Manju’s approach is good. I have great respect for her. Why speak unnecessarily? She has suffered everything she had to endure. Sooner or later, everyone will realise this. She has also approached the Chief Minister and the Home Minister of Keralam. What is happening in front of the Secretariat? The women of Kerala will fall at your feet if someone steps forward and just removes him from there along with that chair,” she said.
Sanal Kumar Sasidharan’s hunger strike
Sanal Kumar Sasidharan recently staged an indefinite hunger strike outside the Kerala Secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram. He demanded an investigation into his allegation that Manju Warrier was being held against her will by a sex racket. The director ended his protest after nine days following police intervention.Mallika questioned why Sanal Kumar Sasidharan had raised these claims at this point. She also criticised those spreading allegations about Manju’s personal life and said she did not know the filmmaker personally.“Where was he all this time? None of us has heard any stories from the time they were ‘in love.’ Did he decide to say all these things only when that girl started living a second life with some peace of mind? Isn’t it clear that he is a fraud? I don’t know him personally, nor do I intend to talk about him. But none of these actions is right,” she said.
Mallika Sukumaran questions allegations against the actor
Mallika Sukumaran also argued that people should not be judged for choosing not to respond publicly to accusations. She suggested that self-respect could be a reason for avoiding further engagement.“What if five or six women step forward and tell similar stories about him? Then wouldn’t he have to go and prove it? Don’t think that everyone who doesn’t go to prove such things is a fool. Because of self-respect, one wonders why they should even bother responding to such people,” she added.
Sanal Kumar Sasidharan responds
Sanal Kumar Sasidharan subsequently posted a lengthy response on social media. He accused Mallika of ridiculing him through online channels and said he had initially chosen not to react.“I have been watching Mallika Sukumaran ridicule me on certain online channels for quite some time. I saw her latest act of mockery yesterday as well. Cognitive decline is natural with age, so I initially thought I should not respond. However, I felt that this woman was likely to keep repeating this behavior, which is why I am speaking up.”He also accused Mallika Sukumaran of misunderstanding his position and referred to the relationship between Manju Warrier and himself.“Mallika Sukumaran’s anger towards me stems from her belief that I insulted Manju Warrier. Madam, I know that you chant prayers for your son to satisfy his demonic desires. I have also realized that you do not understand the meaning of the word ‘insult.’ You may not know what kind of relationship Manju Warrier and I share. Since everyone who knows about it is joining hands to make me a scapegoat, do not be so desperate to insist that nothing of that sort exists.”
Manju Warrier’s defamation suit
The dispute comes amid a separate legal development involving Manju Warrier. Towards the end of September, a Munsiff court in Kochi reportedly issued notices to Sanal Kumar Sasidharan, online news portal operator Shajan Skaria and Meta Platforms Inc. in connection with a defamation suit seeking an injunction.PTI report says that the court directed that the summons be returned on November 5, when the petition is scheduled to be heard.On the work front, Manju Warrier’s most recent outing is ‘Mr. X’.
