‘Survivor’s courage altered Malayalam film industry’ – How Mollywood awaits a crucial verdict today

On December 8, eight years after the shocking and deeply traumatic assault of a Mollywood actress, the verdict in one of the industry’s most controversial cases is finally set to be delivered.

The brutal attack on February 17, 2017 not only shattered the life of a young woman but also sent shockwaves through the Malayalam film industry– long controlled by hierarchy, silence, and unchecked power– altering its course forever.

What unfolded in the years that followed transformed Malayalam cinema and ignited conversations that had been suppressed for decades. At the centre of the case stands actor Dileep—once one of Mollywood’s most influential and admired figures—accused of orchestrating the attack.

The allegations against him cracked open painful truths the industry could no longer ignore. This watershed moment challenged entrenched norms and helped spark a movement that demanded safety, dignity, and accountability for women in cinema.

But the true force behind this shift was the survivor herself. Her courage — her refusal to be silenced, her decision to speak truth to an entire system, and her unwavering pursuit of justice — became the spark that lit a revolution.

Her struggle inspired the formation of the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC), strengthened conversations that fed into the Hema Commission findings, and emboldened countless others to break their silence about long-hidden abuse.

In the hours before the verdict, the WCC shared a powerful message on social media, reminding the public of what this journey has truly meant. “This has been a tumultuous journey — 3215 days from victim to survivor. Her fight has unleashed many difficult paths for women in cinema, the Malayalam film industry, and the state of Kerala.

The impact has rippled through our collective conscience, and voices have risen for change. Her courage, her resilience, and her faith in the system stand for every survivor. We stand with her, and with every survivor watching, in solidarity.” The caption ended with the tag ‘Avalkkopam’– a word associated with the many people who stood by the survivor during her hardest times.

Meanwhile, Vidhu Vincent, one of the founding members of the WCC and now a former member, believes that regardless of the verdict, history has already been rewritten. “For years, gender-based violence—ranging from harassment to the most extreme forms—was spoken of only in whispers. This incident forced these injustices into the public eye. Attitudes have changed. There is empathy now, where once there was judgment. We’ve seen reactions against public figures like Rahul Mamkootathil, which show this shift. Contrast that with cases like Vithura, where a survivor was once asked in court why she didn’t scream. Today, we’ve progressed—even if we still fall short of delivering true justice.”

Makeup artist Renju Renjimar, who is a close friend of the survivor, echoed how far-reaching this moment has been. “Her courage brought people together—from Kerala to Bollywood. I’ve seen firsthand what she went through. Her fight didn’t just change her life; it changed an entire industry.” Though Onmanorama tried to reach out to Shwetha Menon, president of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA) before the verdict, she was unavailable for comments.

As the verdict is set to be delivered today, the survivor’s journey stands as one of the defining stories in the history of Malayalam cinema—one that has reshaped conversations, created new spaces for women, and forced an industry to confront its own shadows. No matter what the court decides, her courage has already transformed the future.