The Kerala government's inaction on testimonies of sexual abuse recorded in the Hema Committee Report has drawn widespread condemnation. On Monday, the Justice Hema Committee Report revealed casting couch situations and workplace harassment faced by women in the Malayalam film industry, though it did not name the victims or the perpetrators. The report reveals that newcomers to the Malayalam film industry are pressured to make “compromises” and “adjustments”—euphemisms for being coerced into sexual interactions on demand.
It also notes that a “power group” of 10-15 influential individuals controls the industry. According to the report, anyone who crosses these individuals, whether intentionally or unintentionally, risks being excluded from work opportunities. The report detailed 17 types of abuse faced by women in Malayalam cinema.
These include sexual demands made for entry into the industry, sexual harassment in the workplace and during transportation, mistreatment at the workplace and in accommodation if women resist sexual advances, a lack of toilets for women, and insufficient changing rooms for junior artists. The Hema Committee was established in 2017 following the notorious “road rape” case involving an actress in Kerala to examine the issues faced by women artists and technicians in the industry. Although the Committee submitted its report in 2019, it was shelved due to the sensitive nature of its findings.
However, on Monday, a truncated and redact.