‘Let me be the living martyr in this matter’

The Malayalam film industry was rocked by a series of allegations of sexual harassment following the release of the Justice Hema Committee report. Among the suspects was actor Jayasurya, who faced serious allegations from an actress. At the time, Jayasurya, who was in the United States, categorically denied the allegations and expressed concern about the damaging impact of false claims on his personal life. Now that he has cooperated with authorities, Jayasurya has addressed the press to further defend himself against the allegations.

What Jayasurya said

Speaking about the allegations, Jayasurya firmly denied any wrongdoing. “Two false accusations have been made against me. I am not sure why the complainant, who first denied that it was me who apparently did these things, then named me in her allegation,” Jayasurya told the media as quoted by Indian Express.

Jayasurya then presented his own evidence to dispute the claims, pointing out inconsistencies in the timeline and locations mentioned by the complainant.

“She said that the unforgettable incident took place in 2013 on the sets of Pigman in Thodupuzha. But the film was completed in 2011 and shot in Koothaatthukulam. She then narrated a particular incident that took place at the Secretariat in 2008. At first we were only given permission to record the song fragments for 2 hours, that too outside the venue. Then how did she get to the second floor?’ Jayasurya wondered.

Jayasurya calls himself ‘living martyr’

Jayasurya also highlighted the damage false accusations can do to real victims of harassment. “In the face of such false accusations, many honest and truthful voices are being silenced. I would fight these claims to the end,” Jayasurya said.

“This could happen to anyone. At least the media gives me space to explain my side. What about others? What will happen to his family? Won’t his image be destroyed? Let this be the last time this happens. Let me be the living martyr in this case,” he said.

Despite the serious nature of the charges, Jayasurya clarified that no formal arrest had been made and he was not required to seek anticipatory bail. However, he refrained from discussing details regarding the investigation, saying: “I cannot tell what I said inside (to authorities). I can’t make everything public. All I want to say is that I completely deny all these baseless allegations.”

Jayasurya is not the only figure from the Malayalam film industry to face such allegations. Other prominent names including Nivin Pauly, actors Siddique, Mukesh and Edavela Babu, as well as director Ranjith, are also involved. Nivin Pauly, like Jayasurya, addressed the press the same day to dismiss the claims against him.