Actor Vijay Babu, who is facing a rape allegation, got respite from The Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA) who stated it cannot take any instant disciplinary action against, while its internal complaints committee had suggested steps to be taken against the actor-producer. The Question is he the real victim as he claims or not?
Vijay Babu went missing after the Kochi city police registered a rape case against him last week. On Thursday, the police issued a lookout circular against Babu, who also faces a case for revealing the name of his accuser on a Facebook live.
AMMA vice-president Maniyanpilla Raju told the media that Babu cannot be kicked out of the actors’ body. “A person cannot be shown the door from the association on the sole ground that there is a complaint against him. We have to get his version and there should be multiple hearings. We also have to protect a member of the association,” said Raju, who is also a producer in the industry.
Vijay Babu, however, has dismissed the allegations in a Facebook Live. The actor-producer claimed he was innocent and presented himself as the ‘real victim’ of the case. He also revealed the woman’s name and said he will file a defamation case against her.
Actor Vijay Babu Steps Down from AMMA’s Executive Committee Voluntarily
Raju said that the AMMA’s executive committee, which met in Kochi on Sunday, accepted Babu’s request to voluntarily step down from the executive committee. Babu informed the AMMA that he would prove his innocence and return to the executive committee.
As the body representing actors of the Malayalam film industry failed to act against Babu, actor Mala Parvathy on Monday announced her decision to quit as a member of the internal complaint committee as a mark of protest.
Vijay Babu started his career as a mediaperson and worked with Star TV, Asianet and Surya TV. In 2013, he entered the Malayalam film industry as an actor and a producer. He founded Friday Film House, along with actor Sandra Thomas, which went on to become one of the foremost production houses in the industry.
However, things soured between the two associates and in 2017, Thomas filed a complaint against Babu for physically assaulting her at their office in Elamakkara, Kochi. In a Facebook post, Babu had alleged that Thomas and her husband Wilson John had filed a fake case in order to take over the business. The issue was later settled between the two parties. A social media post said that the issue between them has been sorted, and alleged that some toxic friends were cause of the conflict.
Since 2013, Friday Film House has produced 14 movies which include Aadu Oru Bheekara jeeviyanu, Aadu 2, June, Adi Kapyare Kootamani, Angamaly Diaries, Sufiyum Sujathayum and Home. Many of the films went on to win Kerala state film awards.
As an actor, Vijay Babu is known for his roles in Philips and the Monkey Pen, Nee-Na, and the Aadu franchise. Babu has often collaborated with actor Jayasurya and they featured in films such as Thrissur Pooram, Anweshanam and Sufiyum Sujathayum, besides Aadu. He was last seen in Antakshari, which was released on April 22 on SonyLIV.
