THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The #MeToo storm, which is shaking up Bollywood and media world, has hit the state with a casting director accusing actor politician M Mukesh of inappropriate conduct by way of unwanted calls while working with him in a quiz show.Tess Joseph, who is known for her works in Mira Nair’s ‘Namesake’, accused Mukesh of harassing her through multiple calls which forced her to drop her assignment and go back. Tess was working in Derek Obrien Associates , which produced the TV show."I was 20 years old quiz directing #koteeswaran when the mallu host #mukeshkumar called my room multiple times and then changed my room to beside his on the next sch (sic)," tweeted Tess Joseph from the handle @Tesselmania.Mukesh did not respond to calls by TOI for his comments. Kodeeswaran, modelled on Kaun Banega Crorepathi, was aired in Surya TV in 2000. Mukesh, a leading Malayalam actor, debuted as the show’s host.Several women professionals, journalists and singers, some of them anonymously, have joined the #MeToo movement publicly outing their alleged harassers.The woman also accused the hotel in Chennai where they stayed of aiding the harasser. “And @LeMeridien chennai you are the worst for being enablers when I asked you why my room floor was different so nonchalantly I was told Mr Kumar (Mukesh) asked for it,” she tweeted.Soon after allegations became public, opposition parties launched a protest in Mukesh’s constituency in Kollam. District congress committee asked the MLA to resign on the wake of allegations while BJP organized a protest march.In a statement released on Twitter Tess criticized those who were politicizing the story. “I want to say - this is my story, not your politics. Those marching to Mukesh Kumar's house and making it political are wrong and I don't want my story to be used by political parties as fodder for their own agendas," the statement said adding that her intention of sharing the story was to fix a system that was broken for women.CPM Kollam district secretary Kollayil Sudevan said he did not know anything about the incident. “The issue has not come before the party”, he told TOI.Another #MeToo allegation has been raised against a leading Malayali music director by an anonymous singer. The allegation levelled through Twitter handle @protestingindia said that the music director began harassing her since she was a minor.

Stay updated with all the Latest Kochi headlines here. For more exclusive & live news updates from all around India, stay connected with NYOOOZ.