‘Shouldn’t one stop for a moment and think’: Bhagyalakshmi slams Mohanlal for sharing ‘Bha Bha Ba’ film poster

Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala: Veteran dubbing artist Bhagyalakshmi on Monday sharply criticised actor Mohanlal for sharing the poster of the film Bha Bha Ba soon after the verdict in the 2017 actress sexual assault case, calling the move “insensitive and thoughtless”.

Speaking to reporters at the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK) venue, Bhagyalakshmi questioned Mohanlal’s decision to release the poster of the film ‘Bha Bha Ba’, which stars Dileep, the eighth accused in the case.

“On the very day the verdict came, isn’t it the same Mohanlal whom we all love who released that poster? Shouldn’t one stop for a moment and think what one is doing? We also heard him say he is praying for both ‘him’ and ‘her’. All this is part of the financial space he has created. That is what we saw,” Bhagyalakshmi said.

Mohanlal appears in the film in a guest role. Earlier, after the trailer was released, several people questioned the timing of the film’s promotion and expressed displeasure over Mohanlal’s presence in the movie.

Meanwhile, Bhagyalakshmi said the survivor’s decision to file a complaint had helped protect many other women in the film industry. “Had she not come forward, the next victim could have been Manju Warrier,” she said, alleging that the lack of support for the survivor within the industry stemmed largely from Dileep’s financial clout.

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Rejecting claims that the survivor had been demoralised by the verdict, Bhagyalakshmi said she remained firm and determined to continue the legal fight.

“She hasn’t weakened even an inch. She has decided to move ahead with great strength. She will go to any extent of the law. Nothing more humiliating can happen to her anymore. The humiliation she faced inside the closed courtroom was worse than what happened inside the car for two hours,” she said.

Earlier, a Kerala court acquitted Malayalam cinema star Dileep in the sensational 2017 actress sexual assault case, which had sent shockwaves across the country over the actor’s alleged involvement. Six persons, including the main accused charged with committing the crime, were pronounced guilty, while three others, including Dileep’s close friend Sarath, were also acquitted.

Also Read: Who was that woman? Serious investigative shortcomings flagged in actress assault case

Bhagyalakshmi said the public receptions and celebratory gestures organised in favour of the accused after the verdict deeply affected the survivor. “What we have now is not the final verdict. There are still higher courts. Dileep is still only an accused,” she said, underlining that the legal battle is far from over.

Describing the accused as powerful, wealthy and highly influential, she said the imbalance of power had been evident from the very beginning. In protest against moves to reinstate Dileep into film organisations, Bhagyalakshmi announced her resignation from the Film Employees Federation of Kerala (FEFKA).

“I went forward with hope, believing one should not break down. But I am devastated even now,” she said. Recalling the night of the verdict, she added, “We lay awake thinking about what to do next,” describing the film industry’s response as akin to welcoming back a long-lost relative.

“I only want to call him what he still legally is, an accused,” she said firmly.