K. Hema Commission Report Reveals Sexual Exploitation in Malayalam Film Industry

The Hema Committee report will be submitted by the panel members to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on December 31, 2019

The K. Hema Committee report on the problems faced by women in the Malayalam film industry was released on Monday, five years after it was submitted to the Kerala government. The report revealed horrific stories of sexual exploitation, illegal bans, discrimination, drug and alcohol abuse, wage disparities and in some cases inhuman working conditions.

The 235-page report, published after omitting the names of witnesses and accused, notes that the Malayalam film industry is in the grip of certain male producers, directors and actors, described by a prominent actor as a “mafia”, as they could ban anyone from the industry.

The committee confirmed the rumor that the industry is engaged in the practice of “casting couch.” Unlike other industries, sexual harassment begins even before a woman enters the film industry, as sexual favors are requested by very famous people in the industry instead of being offered roles. Some witnesses provided video clips, audio clips and screenshots of WhatsApp messages as evidence of casting couch attempts.

Many women feel unsafe staying alone in the accommodation arranged for them during filming, as drunken men are known to knock on their doors. Witnesses have also attempted to break into their rooms by kicking down doors, the report said. In one particular case, an actress was called upon to perform as her abuser’s wife the day after the incident, causing the victim immense trauma. In an attempt to convince newcomers, some in the industry actively create the impression that successful women have made it by “compromising.”

Well-founded fears

Many of those investigated by the commission were afraid to reveal things they had experienced, for fear of negative consequences. The fear is justified. The commission scathingly notes that it is concerned for their safety and even that of their immediate family members. The experiences that many women in the film industry have gone through are so severe that they have not even revealed these details to their immediate family members.

They also rarely approach the police for fear of repercussions from powerful forces in the industry and cyber attacks due to their public profiles. In another example of the climate of fear that existed in the industry, when the Hema committee formed a WhatsApp group with dancers in the industry, most of them left the group one by one after hearing the committee’s intention. The same was true for junior artists, one of the most exploited groups in the industry.

Producers are warned by the industry’s ‘power group’ not to cast actors who are out of their favour. Even the release of films can be prevented, as the Film Chamber of Commerce has to issue a NOC. Production controllers play a major role in keeping people out of cinemas. Members of the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC), at whose request the Hema committee was formed, have been banned from cinemas because the organisation speaks out against the cruelty faced by women.

The report highlights the lack of dressing rooms or toilet facilities on set, particularly on outdoor locations, which leads to urinary tract infections among many women. The committee also notes that some men, including a prominent actor, who testified before the committee said the problem should not be taken seriously.

Junior artists are in some cases treated “worse than slaves” with work lasting up to 19 hours. Middlemen embezzle a large portion of their payments, which are not paid on time. In the case of a big-budget film, a 70-year-old woman who suffered severe burns in an accident on the set was denied money for medical treatment. Junior artists are not admitted to film organizations.

Lack of written contract

The absence of a written contract is misused by some to deprive the actors and technicians of even the verbally promised remuneration. An example cited is that of an actress, the title character in a film, who was forced to do an intimate scene. When she was forced to do more revealing shots, she left the sets without claiming the remuneration for the days she worked. But the director insisted that he would not delete the intimate scenes that had already been shot unless she personally came to Kochi.

Junior artists are deprived of minimum remuneration. Assistant and associate directors are paid meagrely for months of continuous work. They are also not given the daily batta. Their work is not clearly defined, while the heavy work prior to production is not counted as ‘work’. A witness cited the case of a female scriptwriter who had incorporated the theme of gender justice into the script, but the director had botched the script so badly that the writer was reluctant to take credit.

The Hema Commission notes that an internal complaints committee may be ineffective as powerful individuals may threaten or coerce ICC members to handle the complaint in a manner they desire. It also raises doubts about the confidentiality of information disclosed to the ICC if it is composed of industry people, which contributes to the torture of complainants. The Commission recommends that the government introduce a suitable statute and establish a tribunal to address all the issues faced by women in the film industry.