Actress Revathy clarifies comment on girl who sought help

Agencies
October 14, 2018

Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 14: A day after criticising Malayalam actor's body AMMA, senior south Indian actress Revathy Sunday came out with a clarification on a comment she had made on the the experience of a minor girl during the shooting of a film years ago.

In a press note, Revathi said, the incident, which she mentioned, had happened 25 or 26 years back and not in recent years as some people were projecting it to be.

The 'Kilukkam' actress also made it clear that the girl, who had sought her help was not sexually or physically assaulted.

The actress-director came out with a clarification after many people had criticised her silence and a man reportedly filed a police complaint against her for "hiding" the incident all these years.

While detailing the necessity to make the film industry a safer place for women, Revathy had said in the press meet called by Women in Cinema Collective in Kochi Saturday that, a 17-year-old girl had knocked at her doors, pleading to save her during the shooting of a movie.

The meet was to expose the alleged apathetic stand taken by the leadership of the Association for Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA) against the young actress who was abducted and molested in her car in February, 2017.

"On that night, at around 11.30 PM, a 17-year-old girl, whose identity I do not wish to disclose, came running to my room and knocked on my door," Revathy said.

She had said that some one repeatedly knocked at her door asking her to open and she did not know who it was.

This happened in spite of her grandmother staying with her, Revathy said adding she asked her to come inside the room and locked the door.

"The girl was scared and I was also equally scared and both of us waited out that night in fear. No sexual or physical assault actually happened. That is an incident which has always troubled me all these years," the senior actress said.

Revathy said she had shared the experience since she did not want such incidents to be repeated in the industry any more.

"Though a lot of people might think it was a trivial issue, it was a traumatic experience for me and that girl.

No one should dare to come and scare a young artist into submission," she said adding that she did not have the courage to go and confront whoever was out there that night.

The WCC members including Revathy Saturday had criticised AMMA and its leadership for allegedly showing "bias" against the assaulted actress and supporting actor Dileep, the accused in the sensational case.

A platform of women actors, directors, script writers and singers of the Malayalam industry, the WCC was launched soon after the shocking actress assault incident, to ensure gender justice and safeguard women's rights in the film world.

The WCC members have been on the warpath since the actors' body had decided to reinstate prominent actor Dileep, who was arrested on charges of conspiracy in the actress assault case and later released on bail.

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News Network
April 28,2020

Los Angeles, Apr 28: A top-secret documentary feature about former first lady Michelle Obama is set to start streaming worldwide on Netflix from May 6.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the doc shares its title with Michelle Obama's best-selling 2018 memoir "Becoming" and recounts some of the same history of her life.

"Becoming", like the best documentary feature Oscar winner "American Factory", comes from Higher Ground, the production company run by former President Barack Obama and the former first lady, which has an exclusive pact with the streamer.

The documentary marks the feature directorial debut of cinematographer Nadia Hallgren known for her work on "Trouble the Water", the 2008 indie about a couple surviving failed levees, bungling bureaucrats, and their own troubled past and a portrait of a community abandoned long before Hurricane Katrina hit.

"Becoming" also picks up where that story left off by following her on the 34-city tour that she undertook while promoting her book.

"Those months I spent traveling meeting and connecting with people in cities across the globe drove home the idea that what we share in common is deep and real and can't be messed with.

"In groups large and small, young and old, unique and united, we came together and shared stories, filling those spaces with our joys, worries and dreams. We processed the past and imagined a better future. In talking about the idea of 'becoming,' many of us dared to say our hopes out loud," Michelle Obama said in a statement.

The former first lady also addressed the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

"It's hard these days to feel grounded or hopeful, but I hope that like me, you'll find joy and a bit of respite in what Nadia has made. Because she's a rare talent, someone whose intelligence and compassion for others comes through in every frame she shoots.

"Most importantly, she understands the meaning of community, the power of community, and her work is magically able to depict it.

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News Network
January 15,2020

Chennai, Jan 15: Superstar Rajinikanth on Tuesday called for neutrality in journalism and urged media outlets to report the truth.

Addressing an event organised by Tamil magazine ''Thuglak' in Chennai, the superstar-turned-politician said that the country needs a journalist like the late Cho S Ramaswamy, who helmed the publication for decades.

"The times, politics and society are going bad. In such a scenario, the media had a huge responsibility towards the people," he said.

Some television channels are biased towards political parties, Rajinikanth said. He added that media, critics and journalists must report the truth impartially.

Comparing true news to milk and fake reportage to water, Rajinikanth said people will not be able to distinguish between the two if they are mixed.

"Only journalists need to tell which portion is milk and which is water...write the truth and don't make a lie seem like truth," he said, amid applause.

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Agencies
July 25,2020

Mumbai, Jul 25: Movie theatres have been shuttered for months due to the coronavirus pandemic in the country, but the Information and Broadcasting Ministry has now recommended that the Union Home Ministry allow cinema halls to reopen in August. 

I&B Secretary Amit Khare indicated this at a close-door industry interaction with the CII Media Committee on Friday. He said Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla at the Home Ministry would take the final call.

Khare said that he has recommended that cinema halls may be allowed to reopen all over India as early as August 1, or at the latest, around August 31.

The formula suggested is that alternate seats in the first row and then the next row be kept vacant, and proceeding in this fashion throughout.

Khare said that his ministry's recommendation takes into consideration the two metre social distancing norm, but tweaks it gently to two yards instead. The Home Ministry, however, still has to revert on the recommendation.

Cinema owners, present in the interaction, however, pushed back and said this formula is unwise and merely running films at 25% auditorium capacity is worse than keeping the cinemas shut.

The attendees at the meet included media CEOs like N.P. Singh of Sony, Sam Balsara (Madison), Megha Tata, (Discovery), Gaurav Gandhi (Amazon Prime), Manish Maheshwari (Twitter), S. Sivakumar (Bennett Coleman and Co Ltd), and K Madhavan, Star & Disney, and also Chairman, CII Media Committee.

The OTT platforms present, including Gandhi of Amazon Prime, did not push back. Some Bollywood producers, notably those of Amitabh Bachchan's Gulabo Sitabo, have posted their movies on OTT, rather than live out the lockdown uncertainty.

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