Solidarity With Liju Krishna As A Woman And Feminist: Filmmaker Supports Liju By Replying To WCC

Ranjini, who has done the subtitling and script translation work for this film, has shared on social media what she and her husband Govind Vasantha (Patavet music director) know firsthand.

Ranjini’s Note:

Filmmaker Ranjini Achuthan has expressed solidarity with director Liju Krishna, who has been accused of sexual harassment. Ranjini, who has done the subtitle and script translation work for the same film, reveals what she and her husband Govind Vasantha (Patavette music director) know firsthand through a note shared on social media. Ranjini notes that she believes that in today’s political climate, every false case that is fabricated destroys the real victims of injustice. Ranjini’s note was like a reply to the allegations leveled by the WCC against Liju. Below are the relevant parts of the post:

As far as I know, the said person met Liju for the first time through social media in the month of March 2020. By this time, 85% of the shooting of Padavette was completed in three schedules and its post-production work was completed. My husband Govinda Vasantha and I included all the technicians and other key actors in 2019 who had a hard copy of the script even before the shoot. All the cast and crew members were part of the agreement with Sunnyvane Productions from month December 2019. Even the free-of-cost collaborators in the film were part of such agreements. Later when Sarigama Production House took over the film, their legal team audited the agreements and rewrote them later. But the person making the allegation was not involved in any such agreement. And when I personally spoke to the film’s directorial team, production team, and lead actors, they all unanimously agreed that no one has ever worked like this at any stage of a film. Also, neither my husband nor I have ever seen a person work like this.

Apart from the crew members, if you ask the entire people of Malur village who worked in front and behind the camera, you will be convinced. So if this is not workplace harassment, then on what basis has WCC decided to take up this case? 2. ICC was not present during the shooting of the film. As far as I know, the first ICC in Malayalam cinema was formed on Feb 8, 2022, for the film ‘1744 White Alto’ directed by Senna Hegde. After this, in March 2022, there will be an order of the honorable Kerala High Court that ‘there should be an ICC committee in every movie set in Kerala’. Therefore, this allegation against the movie Padavet, which was 100 percent completed before this order, is also not valid.

3. I do not wish to discuss the allegation of molestation against Liju as this case is pending before the court. Let the truth win! Liju Krishna had accused Geethu Mohandas of trying to defame him for disobeying Geethu Mohandas’s suggestion to change the script of Padavet. Liju made the allegation in a press conference called after the release of the film. Liju alleged that Geethu Mohandas was psychologically stalking her, that he had constantly campaigned against Padavet film, and that despite cooperating with the investigation of the sexual assault case against him, he had colluded with WCC to erase even his name from the film.