The report starts by mentioning that ‘The Sky is full of mysteries; with the twinkling stars and the beautiful moon. But scientific investigation reveal that stars do not twinkle and the moon may not be as beautiful as it seems’. Ernakulam : Revelations made in the newly-released Hema Commission report has exposed shocking details about the Malayalam film industry.
The report that was suppressed for the past six years has pointed towards shocking revelations on how women artists in the Malayalam film industry had suffered for the past few decades when it comes to working at cinema sets. The report stated that casting couch and an ‘All-power-male’ group remains firmly in the Malayalam cinema industry. The report starts by mentioning that ‘The Sky is full of mysteries; with the twinkling stars and the beautiful moon.
But scientific investigation reveal that stars do not twinkle and the moon may not be as beautiful as it seems’. “Women in cinema frequently feel unsafe going to work alone. Numerous testimonies reveal that sexual demands are commonly tied to employment opportunities, making it vastly different from other professions.
In fields like teaching, medicine, or engineering, women are not subjected to such conditions. For these jobs, demonstrating one’s skills and passing an interview is usually enough to secure employment. However, in the film industry, the casting couch remains a troubling reality,” the report observed.
Bringing parents to cinema sets for safety ‘Many women working in cinema often bring their parents or close relatives to work out of fear of sexual demands and harassment. These women worry about their safety, both at work and in the accommodations arranged for them. Disturbingly, reports have surfaced of men from the industry, often intoxicated, persistently knocking on hotel doors where female artists are staying, causing great distress’.
‘The harassment doesn’t end with simple knocks on the door; in some cases, men have tried to force their way into the rooms. This has led many women to avoid staying alone and to rely on the presence of family members for protection, fearing for their safety at the workplace. According to the report, many actors repeatedly expressed concerns about the undue importance given to sex in cinema, making the workplace unsafe for them to navigate alone’, the report said.
Despite the prevalence of sexual harassment and abuse in the film industry, women are often reluctant to report these crimes to the police. Though the offences clearly fall under the Indian Penal Code and the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition, and Redressal) Act, 2013 (POSH Act), women in cinema fear the repercussions of making a formal complaint The decision to release the report came after a single bench rejected actor Ranjini’s appeal to stay the report’s release till it considered the case. A division bench of the Kerala High Court had on Monday dismissed the senior actor’s plea seeking a review of the report before its release to the public, citing technical reasons.
The Hema Committee, which looked into the critical issues faced by women in Malayalam film industry, was chaired by retired Kerala High Court judge Justice K Hema, with members–veteran actor Sharada and retired IAS officer KB Valsala Kumari..
