Parvathy Thiruvothu says Hema committee report should not be used to unfairly criticise Malayalam film industry: ‘Other industries should also start the same clean-up’ | Malayalam Movie News

The release of the judge Hema Commission Report has led to important discussions in the Malayalam film industryespecially because of the revelations about discrimination and sexual exploitation confronted by women. Actress Parvati Thiruvothushared her thoughts on the report in a recent interview. She also emphasized the importance of other language industries conducting similar studies on workplace safety for women on their film sets.
Speaking to NDTV, she said that while the sector is facing challenges, it is also working towards improvement. She said, “We are good inside, and that is why we are fixing it.”

Parvathy reflected on the long and difficult journey that led to the publication of the report. The first statement was made in 2018 and the report was submitted in 2019, but it took years of sustained effort before it was finally made public. Despite the justification of the findings, Parvathy highlighted the struggle to keep the focus on the purpose of the report – improving workplace culture – rather than sensational aspects.
The ‘Thangalaan‘ actress added that the Justice Hema Committee Report should not be used to unfairly criticise the Malayalam film industry. She stressed that this is the first time that a government appointed committee has conducted such a study in any film industry. Parvathy expressed concern over the lack of Internal Complaints Committees on film sets, which is required by law, and pointed out the tendency to cover up problems in the industry. She believes this report marks the beginning of a clean-up process which could inspire similar efforts in other film industries. “I feel like there is such a reluctance. There is whitewashing. This beginning of the cleanup process will inspire other industries to do the same,” she said.

She also shared the emotional toll the process took, particularly the fear that the report might never be released, describing it as a deeply traumatic experience. Now that the report is out, she feels a dual sense of accomplishment, recognizing that while this is an important step, it is only the beginning of necessary changes in the industry.