SreenivasanKochi: Veteran actor Sreenivasan said that he has never come across any instance of women being sexually exploited in the Malayalam film industry.
The actor, who has been a part of the Malayalam industry for over 40 years, was responding to a question on the recent allegations raised by the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC) about casting couch prevalent in the film field.
Sreenivasan said that he had not come across any such incident and lacked specific evidence on exploitation of women in return for giving them roles in films.
Following Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA) president Innocent's statement that the industry was free from the menace of sexual abuse, the WCC in its official Facebook page had said "most of the aspiring artists who come to this field have been subjected to various types of abuses."
Terming Innocent's comments as an "eyewash", the WCC also claimed that the practice of casting couch exists in the industry and sought the government-appointed commission to probe into this aspect.
On Innocent's comments about the women in the film industry, Sreenivasan said such statements should have been avoided.
The veteran actor refused to comment on the stand taken by AMMA in the actress attack case.
However, he said the organization is not doing anything significant except offering financial support to some members who are in dire straits.
When asked about the AMMA press conference that witnessed high drama, the actor pointed out that Ganesh Kumar and Mukesh had expressed regret about their outburst.
'Let the truth come out'
Sreenivasan kept mum on the actress attack case probe.
"The police are investigating the matter. Let the truth come out. It's not right to crucify anyone before the completion of probe," he added.
