Malayalam director accused of assaulting woman under pretense of marriage
What's the story
Malayalam film director Omar Lulu is facing serious allegations of drugging and sexually assaulting a woman under the pretense of marriage.
Per reports, the victim has lodged fresh complaints against the filmmaker, accusing him of spiking her drink with MDMA (ecstasy drug) before allegedly assaulting her.
The report also suggests that Lulu deceived the victim by promising to marry her while hiding his existing marital status.
New accusations
Allegations surfaced amid anticipatory bail petition
The allegations against Lulu came to light when he filed a petition for anticipatory bail.
The complainant raised new accusations, stating that the director had promised to marry her and assaulted her after promising a role in his upcoming film.
Additionally, she claimed that Lulu has a history of drug addiction and attempted to settle the case out of court with the help of his driver and a friend.
Denial
Victim claimed to have evidence of phone conversations
The victim argued that Lulu could potentially use his significant influence to interfere with witnesses and evidence.
She claimed to have evidence of phone conversations which can be presented in court.
Lulu denied these allegations after seeking bail.
In previous statements, the director alleged that the case against him was an attempt at extortion through blackmail, claiming a consensual relationship with the victim in 2022.
Statement
Director denied the allegations, suggesting ulterior motives
In a statement—as reported by Manorama Online—Lulu previously responded to the rape allegations: "I was friends with this girl for a long time. She acted in my recent movie...However, a rift happened and we've not been in contact for the past six months."
"Now, just when I commenced my new movie, she has come forward with such a complaint."
"The motive behind such an accusation could be her frustration at not being given a chance in the film," he claimed.
Background
When Lulu's 'Chunkzz' gained attention for 'sexualizing' women
The initial complaint was received by the Kochi City police commissioner. Lulu was charged for rape.
For those unversed, Lulu made his debut in the Malayalam film industry with Happy Wedding (2016), starring Siju Wilson and Drishya Raghunath.
However, his subsequent works, notably Chunkzz (2017), garnered significant attention for their excessive profanity and the portrayal of women through "objectification" and "sexualization."