Hema committee report fallout: Actor Siddique, director Ranjith resign

Kerala govt forms special team to probe atrocities faced by women in film industry

Chickens have seemingly come home to roost for molesters with more women coming forward to recount their ordeal, days after the landmark Hema Committee report which highlighted the atrocities against women in the Malayalam film industry was made public.

On Sunday, veteran actor Siddique resigned as the General Secretary of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes (AMMA) after a fellow prominent actor alleged that he raped her at a young age. Later in the day, director Ranjith, who is also the Chairman of the Kerala Chalachitra Academy, resigned from his post after Bengali actor Sreelekha Mitra alleged he misbehaved with her in 2009.

While Mitra declined to comment, multiple women film personalities that Business Standard spoke to indicated that the report, the first of its kind in India, will lead to a cleansing of the industry. Many other women film workers revealed the assaults they have endured.

The findings of the three-member panel have raised several eyebrows. The 290-page report noted that the industry is dominated by a “mafia of powerful men” and that “sexual harassment of women is rampant”. The report also notes that the working conditions for women in the industry are terrible with no proper toilets or changing rooms for junior artists. It also highlights a significant wage disparity between men and women performing the same work, and no accommodation or transport facilities.

The panel was formed after the sexual assault on a leading actress in February 2017. The committee consisted of former High Court judge Justice Hema, veteran actor Sharada, and retired civil service officer KB Valsala Kumari. When contacted by Business Standard, one of the film personalities revealed that a leading director asked her for “adjustments” (a term used for sexual favors) when she was 16 years old.

"I walked out of that movie. He threatened me that I would not be in the film industry. Many years later, in 2013, the same director approached me for work, and my answer was again a firm no. Women should be powerful, too," she said.

Actor, filmmaker, and one of the founding members of the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC), Revathy, expressed hope that the report would revolutionise Indian cinema. The WCC is widely appreciated for changing the perspective of Malayalam cinema towards women after the actress's assault case. Revathy noted that the wage difference between female and male makeup artists doing the same work was 50 per cent.

"This is a workplace, and we are an internationally famous industry. But we need a safe workplace. That's why this report is important. This is not to accuse or blame someone, but to provide a platform for women to open up," Revathy told Business Standard.

"A speculation game is going on regarding who the culprits are. That is not our aim, and it's a sad speculation. This is an emotional and sensitive matter; we should discuss and rectify the issues as much as possible. We are thinking of acting responsibly," she said.

Revathy said the way women are treated should change. "People are asked to leave sets after working for three to four days. It is also about sensitising men and empowering women. We need to have a proper internal complaints committee," she said.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has vowed that the assaulters, no matter how powerful, will be brought to book. On Thursday, a public interest petition was filed in the Kerala High Court, seeking criminal proceedings against those accused in the report. The High Court has asked the government to submit the full version of the report.

"I have been jobless for the last five years for supporting the victim in the actress assault case. The entire film industry and his association were with 'him.' Only the WCC and people like me stood by the victim in that rape case. I thought someone would reveal names in the public through the Hema Committee report, at least someone from the WCC," veteran dubbing artist Bhagyalakshmi told Business Standard.

"Interestingly, the media is portraying the Malayalam film industry as the worst place, but that's not true. The industry is not anti-woman," she added.

Another actor said: "Do not trust what you see; even salt looks like sugar!”

Meanwhile, the Kerala government has formed a special team to probe the atrocities faced by women in the film industry.

Wake-up call: what the panel found

> The 290-page report says industry dominated by ‘powerful mafia group’ of men and that ‘sexual harassment of women is rampant’

> Notes terrible working conditions for women, with no proper toilets or changing rooms for junior artists

> Points out to significant wage disparity between men and women performing the same work

> Identifies 17 types of exploitation, including seeking sexual favours, experienced by women working in 30 different categories in the industry

> Following the report, several women came out in public highlighting their atrocities