‘Survivors’ of the Digital Space: How Social Media is Swamped with ‘Dileep Lores’

After the verdict, social media timelines filled rapidly with praise for Malayalam actor Dileep. From celebrity posts to fan pages, strikingly similar narratives and emotional anecdotes appeared in unison, pointing to coordinated amplification. This article unpacks how these digital campaigns sought to reshape public perception following the acquittal.

On 8 December 2025, a jubilant crowd broke into massive celebrations outside the Principal Sessions Court in Ernakulam when the court pronounced the verdict and acquitted “accused No. 8”. Eight years after a sexual assault case shook Kerala’s public conscience, popular Malayalam actor Dileep—who was alleged to be the master conspirator who had given a “quotation” (contract) to rape a popular female actor—stood free of all charges.

Fans, supporters and “friends” from the industry hailed the actor, counted the “ordeals” he had gone through over the past few years, and, in the process, redirected their “love for Dileepettan” (ettan meaning elder brother in Malayalam) into vicious attacks on the survivor and her allies. In the days that followed, social media witnessed an unprecedented—often seemingly coordinated—wave of support for the actor, alongside attacks on all those who opposed him.

On the night of February 17, 2017, a popular female actor was abducted and sexually assaulted in a moving vehicle while she was travelling from Thrissur to Kochi. The visuals of the assault were allegedly recorded. The first six accused who assaulted her now stand convicted. Dileep, the eighth accused, was alleged to have hatched a criminal conspiracy to orchestrate the crime, as he harboured personal animosity towards the survivor. However, the court held that the conspiracy could not be proved “beyond reasonable doubt.”

The “Artist” stands “Innocent”: Can the Art be Celebrated?

Three days after the pronouncement of the judgment, Malayalam ‘superstar’ Mohanlal shared the trailer of his upcoming movie BhaBhaBha, in which Dileep is set to play the lead. The film features a plethora of popular actors, including Mohanlal himself, Vineeth Sreenivasan, Dhyan Sreenivasan, Siddique, Salim Kumar, and many others.

The trailer link posted by Mohanlal on Facebook garnered over 32,000 likes and 4,200 comments, as on December 15. While comments criticising and rejecting Mohanlal for associating with Dileep crowded the comment section, a large section of users also hailed the move as “Dileepettan’s massive comeback,” which, they claimed, was set to be even more massive with “Lalettan” alongside. 

Following the trailer release, a flurry of social media posts began debating the “comeback” and whether people would watch the film or not. One such post on an entertainment page called Being Media received 6,400 likes and 3,400 comments, as on the 15th of December. While many users said they would not watch the movie, others remarked that they would, arguing that there was now no reason not to, since Dileep stands acquitted.

One comment read: “I’ll see the film—not because I want to, but because of the posts by so many filthy people,” referring to those who expressed solidarity with the survivor by choosing not to watch Dileep’s films. 

Such activities have been observed across a large number of “entertainment pages” that ostensibly promote the film, solicit audience opinions on the issue, and circulate emotionally charged narratives suggesting that he was framed up.  A clip from a two-year-old interview with the page Ginger Media Entertainments, which has over one million followers on Facebook, was reposted the day after the verdict. In the clip, Dileep is seen speaking emotionally about how he had to convince himself that he was still an actor by watching his own films. He describes the entire ordeal as a “blow to his head.”

The video, which has garnered nearly 10,000 likes (as on December 15),  features comments such as, “Now that the dark pages are over, we can forget it, and we want to watch Dileep movies like old times.” The user goes on to urge the actor to seriously consider this, adding that “Malayalam movies have lost their track.” 

However, as one scrolls down the comment section, a majority condemn it as a “PR stunt,” with many remarking that he is acting heavily in real life as well.

This page has hosted at least four interviews of Dileep since he was named an accused in the case, including promotions for his recent releases such as Pavi Caretaker and Prince and Family.

Adoration for the “people’s favourite actor” or a coordinated campaign?

An emotional post that is making the rounds across the entertainment pages mentioned earlier reads like this:

“It was when I was acting in the movie ‘Kochi Rajavu’ that my uncle was hospitalised. Hearing this, Dileep and Murali Chettan (late actor Murali) finished all our common scenes fast. When I was about to leave for the hospital, Dileep intervened to settle my entire remuneration and told me not to bother about anything else and to reach the hospital quickly. I won’t ever forget the things Dileep told me then.”

This same content, with the same exact caption, is posted on multiple accounts as the actor’s benevolence towards co-actor Kalaranjini. One of the pages that has carried this story on Facebook, Gramavaasi, has more than 1.5 lakh followers.

Since December 8—the day the verdict was delivered—this page has published more than 70 posts related to Dileep and the case within a span of a week. These include statements by celebrities on the issue, such as producer Suresh Kumar, who spoke about the “unimaginable trauma that Dileep’s family had to endure during this time,” and Ramesh Pisharody, who said he had never believed that Dileep committed the crime; random family photographs of Dileep; individual photographs of Manju Warrier, Kavya Madhavan, and Bhavana with captions such as “Do you like this heroine?”; and emotional stories about “the lives he saved.”

There appear to be similar activities in which different pictures of Dileep, carrying the same caption—“ദിലീപേട്ടൻ തെറ്റ് ചെയ്യില്ല എന്ന് വിശ്വസിക്കുന്നവർ ഉണ്ടോ” (meaning, are there people who believe Dileep is not guilty)—surfaced from different accounts such as VA Media, Malayali, Thalsamayam Media, Talents of Kerala, and several fan accounts around the same time, on December 11. There have also been many posts from accounts of similar nature, highlighting Dileep’s recent temple visits, including his visit to the Sabarimala temple.

For viewers consuming this content, the activity appears highly suggestive of coordination and planning, as seemingly ‘unrelated’ accounts post identical content with the same wording around the same time. A particular set of narratives has also been doing the rounds, portraying Dileep’s benevolence towards his co-actors, his ‘fun persona’ that, in the eyes of many, would never make him a ‘potential criminal,’ his daughter choosing to be with him rather than with his ex-wife, Manju Warrier post their divorce, which implicitly suggests that he is “right,” as well as the charity work and pensions he regularly provides to the families of late actors. Stories woven around these themes appear across pages with varying characteristics — ranging from hardcore fan pages to routine movie-review and celebrity-gossip pages.

“Standing with the Survivor, Praying for the Accused”

A string of celebrities took to social media following the verdict. While most of them wrote that they stood with the survivor as an introductory disclaimer, they went on to express their happiness over the acquittal of their favourite star, adding that “truth won.”

Nadir Shah—actor, director, and widely regarded as Dileep’s best friend in the industry—posted a picture of himself with Dileep, captioning it “THANK GOD, SATYAMEVA JAYATE”, As on December 15, the post has attracted over 80,000 likes and 7,000 comments. The comments largely pointed to a failed judiciary in the country and to Dileep’s money power, which many felt may have helped him manipulate the entire case. On the other hand, comments celebrating the verdict were also visible.

Many other actors, including Dharmajan Bolgatty, Devan, Harisree Yousuf, Sarath Appani, Kishore Satya, Major Ravi and Veena Nair expressed their open support for the actor, and their joy at having the “truth brought out.”  

The Survivor, the “Feminichis,” and their days of struggle

The survivor, in her first interview after the incident with senior journalist Barkha Dutt, said she had received messages such as “Why don’t you die?” and “You’ve staged the whole incident yourself”.

After the verdict as well, troll pages have been posting memes targeting “feminists,” claiming they are angry women needlessly disrupting the peace of a “stable system.” Manju Warrier, Dileep’s ex-wife, has been one particular target, with posts mocking her and suggesting that she possesses evidence that “no one else has, not even the court,” because she spoke in support of the survivor. These memes urge her to publish those “evidences” and close the case once and for all.

Feminists and their allies, as a group, continue to be targeted both online and offline. Journalists like Roshipal of Reporter TV were manhandled outside the courtroom on the day of the verdict, and he continues to face cyberattacks for offering allyship to the movement.

A Slow, yet Promising Shift     

On the flip side of it all, the hashtag Avalkoppam, meaning “with her,” trended across Facebook and other social media platforms for days after the judgment. Individuals and communities turned out in large numbers to support the survivor, sharing their anguish over the verdict and also recounting their own stories of survival.

When the survivor released a detailed reaction statement through social media on December 14, several prominent figures from the film industry, including Prithviraj Sukumaran, Nikhila Vimal, Amala Paul, Ahaana Krishna and Sithara Krishnakumar shared it. The post currently (as on December 15) has more than 5,50,000 likes, 42,000 reposts and one lakh shares on Instagram.

News such as a woman objecting to the screening of an old Dileep movie on a KSRTC bus, and an organising committee of a temple festival being forced to remove Dileep as the inaugurator of their coupon distribution after facing severe backlash, point to a significant shift on the other side of the spectrum. However, the comment section under the first news item was filled with severe backlash against the woman, with many alleging that she was trying to become “famous by creating a ruckus over unnecessary issues.”

Supporters on both sides, as well as those who rely solely on the “evidence and proofs” accepted by the court, are now watching closely to see what the next course of action might be. Whether social media will continue to applaud the narratives that have been created now, remains to be seen in the days ahead.

(With research and inputs from Sneha. M and Sujith. A.)