Hema Committee Report: Ugly reality of Malayalam film industry!

Hema Committee Report: Ugly reality of Malayalam film industry!

KAKALI DAS

Trigger Warning: The following story contains themes of sexual harassment.

The Justice Hema Committee report has uncovered widespread sexual abuse within the Malayalam film industry, revealing findings that are deeply shocking.

According to the Committee report, there are widespread requests for sexual favours, casting couch practices, harassment, and threats directed at female actors who are often located in hotels. Even minors are also being spared.

It appears that anyone who refuses these demands is being blacklisted from the industry and subjected to online abuse by toxic fan clubs of male stars.

This appears to be a coordinated, deliberate criminal activity that the state government has been aware of and has fully shielded.

Let me take you back to where this all began. In February 2017, a shocking incident occurs when a leading actress from the Kerala film industry was abducted from her car and sexually assaulted by a gang of men. It was later revealed that this gang has been hired and paid by Superstar Dileep, who was seeking revenge against the actress.

The superstar allegedly blamed her for the collapse of his first marriage. Dileep was arrested in July 2017 but was released on bail after 85 days. He continues to make movies to this day.

In response to that case, a group called the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC) approached the Chief Minister of Kerala. They urged the government to appoint a committee, led by retired High Court judge K. Hema, to investigate cases of sexual abuse within the industry.

The report was submitted to the Chief Minister in December 2019 but was kept confidential and not made public. The contents of the report remained unknown to the public.

Two pleas were filed in the Kerala High Court requesting the disclosure of the report’s details. As a result, the report has been made public this week, 4 and a half years later.

The complete report is 290 pages long, but approximately 55 pages of personal depositions have been redacted. Only 235 pages have been made public to protect the identities of those mentioned.

The committee’s report reveals that there is a powerful group—a male-dominated mafia—consisting of about 10 to 15 people who control nearly everything.

The report states that no man or woman can dare to offend anyone in this group, as doing so would result in the person being completely ostracized from the industry.

According to the report, female actors are told they need to “compromise” or “adjust,” which are code words for making themselves available for sex on demand. This demand, as outlined in the committee report, can come from an actor, producer, director, production controller, or any other individual, and the woman is expected to comply.

The report also notes that women face sexual harassment from prominent figures in the industry. Women have told the committee that many men working in cinema believe that if a woman is willing to perform intimate scenes on camera, she is also expected to be willing to do the same off-set.

The committee reported that several witnesses provided video clips, audio recordings, screenshots, and WhatsApp messages as evidence of the demands made of them.

The report also implies that minors are not exempt from these abuses. While the report generally uses the term “woman” when referring to victims of harassment, there is one specific paragraph that mentions a “girl” rather than a woman. This suggests that one or more minors may have been targets of sexual abuse. It states that the girl (minor) was also informed that demands for sex could be made by anyone in the industry.

Women are unsafe on set and in their hotel rooms. When traveling on location, they often face harassment from drunk crew members who bang on their doors at night asking for sex. This situation is highly distressing.

Women have reported that the knocking is neither polite nor decent. Often, the banging on their doors is so forceful that they fear the door might break and someone might enter their room forcibly. Unless they travel with a family member for security, they feel unsafe on location.

The report also highlights that on location, there are often no changing rooms, and the toilet facilities on sets—especially outdoors—are inadequate. This lack of proper facilities forces women to use the open, leading to infections and other health issues.

The Hema Committee report questions why women in the Malayalam film industry should be required to travel with their parents for security, noting that women in other industries do not face such a requirement.

Additionally, the report describes horrific working conditions. Women often do not receive proper contracts, and there is no written commitment regarding their pay. When payment is made, it frequently amounts to only a fraction of what was originally promised.

Junior artists are reportedly treated worse than slaves, working up to 19 hours a day. Intermediaries or agents often take a portion of their earnings, and in some cases, if they are injured, they do not receive adequate medical treatment.

The report also includes testimonies from men interviewed within the industry. Many of these men stated that sexual harassment exists in the film industry to the same extent as in any other field, suggesting that there is no need to “blow it out of proportion.” This perspective contrasts sharply with the experiences reported by women.

The women have highlighted that harassment in this industry is significantly more severe compared to any other field.

Days after the release of the report, the Kerala High Court has directed the State Government to submit the uncensored version of the report in a sealed cover. This order came in response to a petition urging the state government to act against those named in the report who have committed these crimes.

The Kerala government has stated that action will only be taken if a woman comes forward to file a complaint. According to the Chief Minister, if any woman who has testified in connection with the Justice Hema Committee report files a complaint, the government will then take appropriate action.

It should be noted that the government has justified its refusal to publish the report by citing the need to protect the privacy of the witnesses. The State Government and the Chief Minister have also stated that Justice Hema requested that the report not be released due to the sensitive nature of the information it contains.

However, the Chief Minister has been defending his government against accusations of inaction and efforts to obscure the details of the report.

Actor Parvathy Thiruvothu, a member of the WCC, has emphasized that the purpose of the committee report is not to name and shame individuals but to improve workplace practices and ensure protection for everyone. She has reiterated that the WCC will support anyone willing to come forward and file a complaint.

In conclusion, it is evident that a group of very powerful men has been allowed to amass increasing power over time. The Chief Minister and the State Government have been aware of this issue for at least 4 and a half years, and possibly much longer. Their inaction reflects a deliberate choice on the part of the Kerala government to permit this situation to persist.

The core issue arises when powerful individuals protect other powerful individuals. As someone recently remarked in response to the Kolkata case, “We don’t need men to protect us; we need men to stop protecting each other.”

The current situation in Kerala, involving the Hema Committee report, is a clear example of powerful men protecting each other.

25-08-2024

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