Arun Chandra Bose/BBCA landmark report on issues faced by women in the Malayalam film industry has revealed deep corruption in one of India’s most popular film hubs.
The findings of the three-person team were shocking.
The 290-page report – parts of which have been redacted to hide the identities of survivors and those accused of wrongdoing – said the industry was dominated by a “powerful male mafia” and was “responsible for Sexual harassment of women is rampant.”
The Hema committee, headed by a former judge of the Kerala High Court and set up by the state government in 2017, detailed poor working conditions on the sets – including lack of toilets and dressing rooms for junior artists, no food and water, low wages, no accommodation or Transportation facilities.
“There are no toilets, so women have to go behind bushes or dense trees. During menstruation, not changing tampons for a long time and holding in urine for a long time can lead to physical discomfort and even illness, which may even require hospitalization.
The report was submitted to the government in December 2019 and was only made public this week after nearly five years of delays and multiple legal challenges from members of the film industry.
The group was formed following the horrific sexual assault of a leading lady in the film industry. Bhavana Menon, who has made over 80 films in south Indian languages and has won several prestigious awards, was traveling from Thrissur to Kochi in February 2017. On the way, he was attacked by a group of men.
Her attack made headlines, especially after Dileep – one of Malayalam film industry’s best-known actors and Menon’s co-star in six films – was named as an accused and charged with conspiracy. After committing a crime. He denied the charges but was arrested and detained for three months before being released on bail. The case continues in court.
Indian law prohibits the identification of survivors of sexual assault, but it was known from the outset that it was Ms Menon who had been assaulted. In 2022, she gave up her anonymity in an Instagram post and an article Interviewed by BBC.
chief minister’s officeMonths after Ms Menon’s attack, the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC) – a group made up of some of her colleagues in the film industry known for producing a variety of successful mainstream and critically acclaimed films – Petition to the government seeking prompt action to case and resolve the issues faced by women in the film industry.
Retired judge K Hema said in the report that the WCC told her that “women are being silenced as the film industry’s reputation needs to be maintained”.
The group interviewed dozens of men and women, including artists, producers, directors, screenwriters, photographers, hairstylists, makeup artists and costume designers, and “collected evidence including video and audio clips and WhatsApp messages” .
The report described sexual harassment as “the most evil” faced by women in film and said panelists saw evidence that “sexual harassment remains alarmingly rampant” and that “it goes unchecked and unchecked”.
The industry is “controlled by a group of male actors, producers, distributors, exhibitors and directors who have achieved great fame and fortune” and are among the perpetrators.
“Men in industry have no qualms about openly making sexual demands as if it is their birthright. Women have no choice but to comply or refuse, but at the cost of their long-awaited sexual pleasures in the form of movies For career dreams.
“Many women’s experiences are truly shocking and so severe that they do not even disclose the details to close family members.”
Many people contacted by the expert team were initially reluctant to speak because “they feared they would lose their jobs”.
“At first, we found their fear strange, but as the research progressed, we realized it was well-founded. We feared for their safety and that of their close relatives.
The WCC said the report vindicated its position. “We’ve been saying for years that there are systemic problems in this industry. Sexual harassment is just one of them. This report proves that,” award-winning editor Beena Paul, a founding member of the WCC, told the BBC.
“We’re always told we’re troublemakers [for raising such issues]. This report proves [the condition] It’s worse than we thought,” she said.
Arun Chandra Bose/BBCWCC members say they have had trouble finding work since they began demanding better working conditions on film sets. “People don’t like us asking questions. As a result, quite a few members are facing difficult situations,” Ms Paul said.
The Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes (AMMA), a top industry body whose members include superstars such as Mohanlal and Mammootty, has denied the allegations. Its secretary-general Siddique disagrees that a small but powerful group controls the industry.
He also denied that sexual harassment was rampant in the industry and said most of the complaints they received were about delays or lack of workers’ wages. He said conditions for women on film sets have improved over the past five years and all facilities are now available to them.
The report has caused an uproar in the state in the week since its release, with activists and prominent opposition leaders demanding action against those accused of wrongdoing.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said the government would take action if any of the women who testified before the committee came forward to lodge complaints. “No matter how big or small they are, they will be punished by the law,” he said.
On Thursday, the Kerala High Court received a public interest petition seeking criminal proceedings against the accused in the report.
The court ordered the government to submit a copy of the report, and the judges said they would decide whether criminal action is needed after reading the report.
Getty ImagesAllegations of harassment and abuse in films are not new in India – in 2018, the #MeToo movement swept the country’s most popular film industry after actress Tanushree Dutta accused veteran actor Nana Patekar of inappropriate behavior towards her on the set of a 2008 film. Welcome to the film industry Bollywood.
Ms Dutta, who has since claimed she was denied a job, called the Hema commission report “useless”, adding that previous reports on making workplaces safer for women were also unhelpful.
However, award-winning actress and leading WCC member Parvathy Thiruvothu told AsiaNet News that she considered the release of the report “a victory”.
“This opens the door to major changes in the industry,” she said.
Jeo Baby, director of The Great Indian Kitchen, a critically acclaimed film that explores patriarchal structures within families, told the BBC that while gender issues were still an issue, the industry was changing. “Now is the right time to correct this problem. The film industry must address this issue together.
The report makes several recommendations to make the industry a safe place for women, saying their investigation and recommendations are not meant to single out any individual but are “a genuine attempt to noblerize the profession and make it more accessible to women.” Viable career options”. Aspiring artists and technicians, both men and women”.
“Hopefully, filmmaking will become so safe that parents can send their daughters and sons into the industry with the same confidence and security as they send their children to an engineering firm or college,” it added.
