Dileep’s downfall: How the 2017 Kerala actor abduction and assault case accused dug his own grave in cinema and real life

Yet, the survivor continued her David vs Goliath battle. In the following years, things began to change, and she gradually started gaining more supporters among the masses. Many also began to notice the vile smear campaign waged against her by certain quarters, which played a key role in turning the tide in her favour. Amid all this, the legal battle continued, and finally, a Sessions court in Ernakulam pronounced its verdict in the case on Monday, December 8.

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While the Malayalam film industry has witnessed several dark chapters and controversies over the decades, no other incident has exposed its deeply ingrained grey the way the 2017 actor abduction and assault case did. It not only revealed the rot within but also became instrumental in the formation of the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC) and the Justice Hema Committee, both of which have since played key roles in highlighting the extreme discrimination and exploitation faced by women in Malayalam cinema.

The most eye-opening outcome was that the masses finally realised that what legendary actor Thilakan said many years ago was true. While he once attested to the presence of a “mafia” in Kerala’s film fraternity, the Hema Committee report later confirmed this by revealing that an all-male power group of about 15 people existed in the industry. During an appearance on Manorama News’ Nere Chowe programme, Thilakan went after Dileep with all guns blazing and alleged, “I once said he is poison. I said that from my own experience.” The lead star’s name appearing in the abduction and assault case only added more weight to Thilakan’s words.

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While many of Dileep’s fans initially believed he was innocent — resulting in him even receiving a grand welcome upon his release from prison after spending 85 days in judicial custody in connection with the case — the scenario has since changed. Dileep no longer enjoys the massive superstardom nor the support he once did. While his real-life actions have made his story a clear echo of the biblical verse, “all who draw the sword will die by the sword,” his subpar movie and character choices, along with his limited skill set, have also played a key role in his downfall as a star.

And although the Ernakulam Principal Sessions court acquitted him in the case, it is unlikely that he will rise again as a star in his career unless he voluntarily undergoes a major transformation as an actor, acquiring new and stronger skills, which his past journey suggests is improbable.

Dileep was accused of masterminding the crime and subsequently arrested. (File photo)

From Gopalakrishnan to Dileep

Although an outsider, Dileep (née Gopalakrishnan Padmanabhan Pillai) managed to earn his share of fame before entering the film industry through stage performances as a mimicry artiste and appearances on the television comedy show Comicola. He began his journey in the film industry as an assistant director to Kamal. During this stint, he made his acting debut, playing a small role in Kamal’s Ennodu Ishtam Koodamo (1992). Since Malayalam cinema was in dire need of young supporting actors, he slowly began receiving minor, inconsequential roles. His first notable character was in Joshiy’s Mammootty-starrer Sainyam. Meanwhile, his performance in Manathe Kottaram impressed the audience, and Gopalakrishnan began using his character’s name, Dileep, as his screen name. Although he played one of the three lead characters in Three Men Army, he didn’t become a lead actor overnight. While taking on central characters in movies such as Kalyana Sowgandhikam and Saamoohyapaadam, he continued playing second fiddle to other actors in films like Sindhoora Rekha, Manthrika Kuthira, Swapna Lokathe Balabhaskaran, and Thooval Kottaram.

Eventually, he received a career break in 1996 with Sallaapam and Ee Puzhayum Kadannu, in which he appeared opposite Manju Warrier, whom he later married. Although Dileep did not have much to perform compared to Manju, his comedic expressions and ability to do physical humour impressed many. Manju and Dileep’s adorable on-screen chemistry also played a key role in gaining him recognition. Since Mohanlal and Mammootty had become superstars by then and mostly did bigger projects, while Suresh Gopi had been promoted to “action hero” status and Jayaram was mostly taking on “struggling family man” roles, Malayalam cinema desperately needed someone to deliver light-hearted entertainment. Dileep’s ability to portray goofiness, combined with his boy-next-door appeal, helped him become the go-to choice for such films.

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By the late 1990s, Malayalam cinema had mainly stopped experimenting and was merely producing rehashed versions of old tales or coming up with no-brainers. In a way, Dileep became the face of such films that required little intellectual engagement from viewers. His movies, such as Manthramothiram, Maayapponman, Ullasappoonkattu, Anuragakottaram, Meenathil Thalikettu, and Udayapuram Sulthan, merely offered picturisations of their respective scripts, without anything more cinematically. However, due to the overall dearth of quality movies, the audience was forced to be satisfied with what they had. Meanwhile, the blockbuster success of Punjabi House gave him a significant boost, thanks to his ability to excel in slapstick and physical comedy. By skillfully juggling lead and supporting roles, Dileep continued to advance his career.

As he was still progressing in his career, Dileep married Manju Warrier, who had by then become the most sought-after female actor in Malayalam cinema. At the height of her stardom, Manju bid farewell to the industry to focus on building a family. Although this irked many of her fans and Malayalam cinema lovers in general, Manju and Dileep became the industry’s most celebrated power couple, which also contributed to his fame.

Dileep receiving a grand welcome upon his release from prison after spending 85 days in judicial custody in connection with the case. (PTI file photo)

Interestingly, Dileep was smart enough to recognise his limitations as an actor and did not push himself into roles he was ill-equipped for. Instead, he built a nest in his comfort zone and settled there. His willingness to do anything for comedy also worked in his favour, as he demonstrated in movies such as Mister Butler, Darling Darling, and Thenkasipattanam. He compensated for his limited range by showcasing his physical agility in comedic scenes. With the success of films like Ee Parakkum Thalika and Kuberan, Dileep became a bankable actor at the box office and slowly began to emerge as a star. In movies like Joker, Ishtam, Soothradharan, and Mazhathullikkilukkam, which also included intense drama alongside comedy, directors made the best use of his guy-next-door image. His performance in Kathavasheshan, nonetheless, was impressive and can be considered one of his finest to date.

Rise to stardom

With the blockbuster success of Meesa Madhavan, Kunjikoonan, and Kalyanaraman (2002), he became a force to be reckoned with, even for other stars. The 2000s were Dileep’s years when he delivered blockbusters far too often. His fearlessness in taking on a wide range of roles, even if that meant he had to undergo physical transformations, also worked in his favour, earning him movies such as Kunjikoonan, Chanthupottu, Pachakuthira, and Chakkara Muthu. During this period, when the industry had reached an intellectual and creative stagnation, Dileep’s movies, despite being utterly problematic, drew unsensitised audiences into movie halls. While Jayaram’s 1990s family dramas peddled blatant misogyny, suggesting that men’s violent actions also always stemmed from love, Dileep’s films were problematic in different ways. Most of them had ingrained misogyny, with the best example being the casual rape “joke” in Meesa Madhavan. While Chanthupottu became one of the movies that did the most harm to the LGBTQIA+ community, films like Kunjikoonan and Chakkara Muthu made people with disabilities the butt of cruel jokes while pretending to be works about such characters.

However, he continued to rule unrivalled throughout the decade with blockbusters like Thilakkam, CID Moosa, Runway, Kochi Rajavu, Pandippada, Lion, and Vinodayathra, among others, earning him the title of “Janapriya Nayakan” (The beloved hero of the masses). He also slowly began amassing power in the industry. He became an executive committee member of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA) in 2003 and the organisation’s vice president in 2006. By producing Twenty:20, a movie featuring almost all major Malayalam stars that was created to raise funds for AMMA’s activities, he became the biggest force in the industry. Even when allegations arose that he was acting like an uncrowned king in the industry, calling all the shots, dissenting voices were easily sidelined.

Era of problematic movies

Nonetheless, Dileep began facing a tough time as an actor in the 2010s with the arrival of a fresh batch of filmmakers who ushered in a new wave marked by contemporary aesthetics inspired by emerging trends in world cinema. Movies of the type Dileep had previously starred in began being produced less frequently. While he won the Kerala State Film Award for Best Actor for his performance in Vellaripravinte Changathi, it was a one-time wonder. Although his extremely sexist films like Mayamohini and Mr Marumakan earned commercial success, they were also called out by many, particularly for their frequent use of rape as a joke.

Since he never made an effort to improve his acting skills or become more versatile as a performer, Dileep was ill-equipped to take on challenging roles. Worse still, even as his movies flopped one after another, he never paused to reconsider his approach. He kept delivering problematic films such as Sringaravelan, Nadodimannan, Ring Master, and Villali Veeran, all of which, in various ways, trivialised sexual violence, with one even turning child sexual abuse into a punchline. Although he received some respite with Chandrettan Evideya, Life of Josutty, and Two Countries, the emergence of better young actors during this era, who could do everything that he was doing and far more, slowly made him obsolete. His movies Welcome to Central Jail and Georgettan’s Pooram, meanwhile, became the final nail in his coffin.

Downfall

Although Manju Warrier faced the most criticism following their divorce in 2015, the situation shifted once Dileep married Kavya Madhavan, who had long been rumoured to be his girlfriend — even while he was still married to Manju — the very next year. This sparked a fresh wave of sympathy for Manju and hatred towards Dileep.

Dileep will be next seen in Bha Bha Ba. (Credit: Facebook/@ActorDileep)

Though Ramaleela (2017) became a success, this was mainly because its release coincided with his time in jail, and since the public sentiment was in his favour during this time. Despite being a strictly average film, Ramaleela was a hit. Although his next movie, Kammara Sambhavam, was different from what he had done until then, Dileep’s performance in it was nothing more than mediocre, as he wasn’t suited for nuanced portrayals. Nonetheless, his ability and willingness to undergo physical transformations helped him yet again.

However, his career has been on the decline since then, with most of his movies failing. Although times have changed and cinematic sensibilities have evolved, Dileep is still stubbornly chasing his once-popular “Janapriya Nayakan” image. A look at his recent movies, like Keshu Ee Veedinte Nadhan, Voice of Sathyanathan, Pavi Caretaker, and Prince and Family, highlights his desperate attempts to trick the audience into believing that he is the same old person. Now a quinquagenarian, Dileep has also lost the most potent arrow in his quiver, physical agility, which has made it difficult for him to pull off slapstick humour as well.

The failure of movies such as Bandra and Thankamani, meanwhile, underscores that he is no longer a star — let alone a superstar or “Janapriya Nayakan” — contrary to what his fans believe. Even if his upcoming Bha Bha Ba succeeds, it will likely be because it resonated with the audience and not due to Dileep’s (non-existent) stardom. Dileep’s career currently exemplifies how one can become obsolete if they don’t continue honing their craft or at least make an effort to develop new skills, rather than merely milking the cash cow they won from somewhere.