Social media reviewer Santhosh Varkey, known as ‘Aarattannan’, was arrested by the Kerala police on Friday, April 25, for making obscene remarks about female actors in the Malayalam film industry. The Ernakulam North police recorded his arrest after multiple actors and filmmakers raised complaints, citing that he repeatedly posts vulgar comments about female actors and others from the industry.
Actors Usha Haseena, dubbing artiste and actor Bhagyalakshmi, and Kukku Parameswaran filed complaints against Santhosh, elaborating that his hateful remarks question the dignity of women in the film industry. They demanded strong legal action against him.
The Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (A.M.M.A) also raised a complaint after Santhosh called the women in Malayalam cinema “prostitutes” in a social media post. The complaint pointed out how such comments were not only disrespectful on an individual level but also attacked the dignity of all the women who work in films.
Santhosh has reportedly been booked under Sections 75(3) (making sexually coloured remarks), 75(1)(iv) (acts of sexual harassment) and 79 (insulting modesty of woman) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Section 120(O) (causing nuisance) of the Kerala Police Act, and Section 67 of the Information Technology Act (publishing obscene material).
Santhosh has made many such disparaging remarks about personalities from the film industry, including women, through social media. He is also infamous for revealing his “crushes” on female actors and anchors, often ambushing them at public events.
In August 2024, Santhosh, along with four other YouTubers, were booked by the Cheranalloor police for allegedly sexually assaulting a transgender woman makeup artist. Before that, he was warned by the Palarivattom police station personnel for harassing actor Nithya Menen with repeated marriage proposals.
