Kerala News Special Reports

What TNM’s Dhanya Rajendran Will Not Tell You About Her Bestie, Malayalam Actress Rima Kallingal

September 2, 2024
The Commune

Malayalam film star and award winner Rima Kallingal who rose to fame with her performance in 22 Female Kottayam is back in the news. Singer Suchitra has made serious allegations against Rima Kallingal and her husband, Aashiq Abu. In a recent interview on the SS Buzz YouTube Channel, Suchitra claimed that Rima had been hosting frequent parties at her home where drugs are widely used by attendees of all genders.

Suchitra accused Rima Kallingal of organizing these drug-fueled gatherings and suggested that many young women are being introduced to drug use at these events. She also stated that the decline in Rima Kallingal’s career can be attributed to her parties. “Certain things should never be allowed at a party, even if attended by adults. I was deeply shocked to learn about Rima Kallingal’s involvement in such activities,” Suchitra remarked.

Rima Kallingal & Aashiq Abu

Kallingal married Abu in 2013. Back in 2015, Abu and Kallingal were allegedly linked to a then-recently busted cocaine case. They both denied any involvement, but the rumours connecting them to the case escalated after the arrest of actor Shine Tom Chacko for cocaine consumption and possession. Although no specific names were initially mentioned, social media memes hinted at Aashiq’s alleged drug use, and sections of the vernacular media reported that the Kerala Police could question Aashiq, Rima, and actor Fahadh Faasil regarding the case.

Fundraiser corruption

The Kochi Music Foundation (KMF) organized a charity concert called ‘Karuna‘ on 1 November 2019 to raise funds for flood relief in Kerala. However, more than three months after the event, the Foundation has not yet deposited the collected funds into the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund (CMDRF), as promised. This was confirmed by the state’s finance department, which responded to an RTI query stating that no donation from the Kochi Music Foundation had been received in connection with the concert. One of the main organizers, Bijibal, acknowledged the delay, explaining that they planned to remit the funds by March 31, 2020. Despite the event being hailed as a significant success, with substantial revenue generated from ticket sales, the delay in transferring the funds has raised concerns and criticism. The event was organized by KMF, which included Aashiq Abu, his wife and actress Rima Kallingal, singer Shahbaz Aman, and music director Bijibal.

Ernakulam MP Hibi Eden publicly questioned whether Aashiq Abu had made the payment. In response, Abu posted an image of a cheque for Rs 6.22 lakh dated 14 February 2020, after the controversy had surfaced. Eden accused Abu of issuing the cheque only due to the backlash. Rima Kallingal, a key member of the KMF, was indirectly implicated due to her involvement with the Foundation.

Hypocrisy In Outraging To Harassment Cases

Rima Kallingal’s hypocrisy in choosing cases to outrage is mindblowing. Here, we explore two cases where Kallingal’s hypocrisy is blatantly exposed.

Working With Vinayakan

Kallingal & Abu produced a film in 2020, which happened to be the directorial debut of actor Vinakayan. Vinayakan was accused of sexual harassment. It was reported that Vinayakan denied the allegation, was arrested a few weeks later and released on bail immediately.

The case was then twisted into a caste issue, and the lady who accused him of harassment went on to support the film. The News Minute reported this statement – “I recognise that those who are now speaking against Vinayakan becoming a director are displaying casteism. In Indian cinema, world cinema, and Malayalam cinema, there are several accused and those who committed crimes going about their profession. The people have also accepted it. Since I see it as caste discrimination to say that Vinayakan alone should not be allowed to direct, I wish to express my view that the attempts to prevent the actor from becoming a director are not in line with the Ambedkarite in me. Aashiq Abu is from the Muslim community, which is facing othering in India. So are the Dalits in India. I see Vinayakan and Aashiq Abu coming together as also Dalit-Muslim brotherhood,” Mrudula added.

Kallingal and Abu faced criticism for their decision to work with actor Vinayakan, especially after the sexual harassment accusations came out. Critics question how Rima, a member of the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC), could support this while the WCC has condemned others for working with actor Dileep, accused in a high-profile assault case.

Working With Sajin Babu – Named In Hema Committee Report

Director Sajin Babu worked with Kallingal for his film Theatre at the time when his name appeared in the Hema Committee Report. She hasn’t issued any statement in this regard.

It’s the WCC themselves who have called for a “zero tolerance policy to sexual harassment across the industry.” However, they do not seem to have applied their standards consistently to all alleged perpetrators.

Rima Kallingal & Dhanya Rajendran – Partners In Crime?

It is worth mentioning that Rima Kallingal, along with a few other members of the WCC, such as Parvathy Thiruvothu, are besties of The News Minute editor Dhanya Rajendran. Her reportage of incidents involving Rima Kallingal or her hypocrisy is questionable. The issue involving Vinayakan became twisted, and the film that could have been shelved did not see any hindrance, mainly because of the harassment case.

The drug allegations from 2015, the corruption charges in the post-2018 Kerala floods fundraiser, and now the claims made by Suchitra are met with radio silence from the self-proclaimed champion of women’s rights and messiah of victims – Dhanya Rajendran.

A mere glance at Kallingal’s Instagram page will tell you how close the duo is:

It will be interesting to see what kind of denial Kallingal gives to Suchitra’s accusations and how Rajendran buttresses her friend’s case.

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