Sexual exploitation of actors in Malayalam film industry: Kerala government as guilty as perpetrators

“Don’t trust what you see, even salt is like sugar,” reads a sentence in the first paragraph of the Hema Commission report released on August 19, 2024. The report deals with the systematic sexual exploitation of women in the Malayalam film industry. As shocking as the sexual abuse of the actors is the indifference of the Kerala government. The government of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has neglected the crucial report for almost five years and is guilty of complicity through negligence.

It is shocking that a damning report on widespread sexual exploitation in Kerala’s film industry, submitted to the state government five years ago, has now been shelved.

The report reveals horrific details of sexual exploitation and harassment faced by female actors in the Malayalam film industry. It also discusses how women who speak out are ostracised by the “powerful lobby” within the industry.

The report was published in August after the government was criticised for failing to do so. It is said that justice delayed is justice denied. So why was justice delayed in Kerala? What message does this send to perpetrators of sexual exploitation?

“Their (female actors) fear and suffering die within the industry, nothing can be done about it, there is no forum to seek solutions, while their problems are numerous,” the report said.

THE GOVERNMENT PUBLISHES A REPORT FIVE YEARS LATER. WHY?

The As a result, the Hema committee was formed of the uproar that erupted in the Malayalam film industry after a famous actor was sexually assaulted by five men in a moving car on February 17, 2017. She was dropped off two hours later. She filed a complaint with the police.

Nine days later, Pinarayi Vijayan denied the survivor’s claims that there was a larger conspiracy behind the attack on her.

It was later alleged that popular actor Dileep was the mastermind behind the attack as he wanted to take revenge. Dileep was arrested on October 3, 2017.

The actor was the treasurer of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA), a powerful industry body with influence across Kerala. He was thrown out.

Women, under the guise of anonymity, started speaking out about the systematic sexual abuse in the Malayalam film industry.

There was a huge public backlash against the Vijayan government, forcing it to set up a commission to probe the allegations. The commission, headed by K Hema, a retired judge of the Kerala High Court, included actor Sarada and bureaucrat K B Valsala Kumari.

The Hema committee interviewed hundreds of people associated with the Malayalam film industry. The committee was formed in November 2017 and submitted its report in December 2019.

SHOCKING FINDINGS STILL NO ACTION, RAISES QUESTIONS

The findings are shocking.

This showed that women in the cinema prefer to take their parents with them to film shoots, because in the cinema sometimes “along with the offer of opportunities, the demand for sex is also posed”.

Also, in the middle of the night, men who work in the cinema knock on their doors. The pounding on the door is so intense that some people feel like the door could open at any moment.

Male and female actors and directors were interviewed and finally the findings were submitted to the Kerala government in December 2019.

The report found that the sexual exploitation of female actors is “widespread”, “unchecked and uncontrolled”.

“Men in the industry openly make demands for sex without any scruples, as if it were their birthright. Women have little choice but to comply – or refuse, at the cost of their long-held dream of pursuing cinema as a profession,” the report said.

It also became clear how difficult it is for a female actor to file a complaint.

These men belong to a “powerful lobby” and can act “according to their whims and fantasies”. This keeps women silent and exploitation is widespread.

The Malayalam actor mustered the courage to speak out. To no avail.

AMMA has denied the existence of a powerful lobby and has stated that the cases of exploitation are “isolated” incidents. It has also sought to reinstate Dileep, which he refused.

Malayalam director Ranjith and actor Siddique resigned from AMMA on Saturday amid a storm of sexual abuse allegations.

The contents of the 295-page report, of which 65 pages have been redacted, are damning. It was submitted by the Hema Committee in December 2019 but made public by the Kerala government only in August 2024, almost five years later.

Many, including the opposition in Kerala, are wondering why the delay. Is the government trying to protect the powerful men of the industry, it is asked?

Inaction against perpetrators of crime encourages them and others. A key to deterring crime and sexual exploitation is justice without delay.

On Monday, the Vijayan government announced that it would form a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the issue of systematic sexual exploitation in the Malayalam film industry. When the government has been in a sleepy state for five years, it is terrifying to think how long it could take to bring the culprits to book.

OPPOSITION BLAME KERALA GOVERNMENT FOR ‘COVER-UP’

The opposition parties are also criticising the Kerala government for the delay.

Congress leader of opposition VD Satheesan alleged that the lack of action on the report shows that the government is protecting the industry’s ‘mafia’.

“A lot of complaints from the government. The government’s inaction is a crime. Whose interests did the government want to protect by covering up a series of atrocities? The exploitation in the film industry must be stopped and all crimes must be investigated,” he said.

BJP state president K Surendran said the government was actively trying to hide the names of those responsible for the sexual crimes.

“Why did the government want to cover up the names of the perpetrators of the atrocities? The government should ensure that there is a safe working environment for women in the industry,” he said.

Surendran also went to X to talk about the report.

“The deliberate suppression of the Hema Commission report by the @pinarayivijayan-led Kerala government is not just a failure, it is a disgrace. By hiding it from the public, the government has revealed where its loyalty really lies – with the perpetrators, not the victims,” ​​he said.

“This is nothing short of a betrayal of the women of Kerala. The INDIA government talks about women’s rights but fails to take action when it matters the most. @BJP4Keralam demands immediate action based on the revelations in the report,” he added.

Now more actors are speaking out against sexual exploitation in the Malayalam film industry. Malayalam film actor Minu Muneer has accused four people of sexual and verbal abuse.

The first allegation came in 2017, long before the MeToo movement made headlines around the world. The Hema committee spoke to hundreds of women and investigated the case for two years, submitting its report in November 2019. Given the deep rot in the Malayalam film industry, it is highly likely that several women have been victimized by those in power, while the Vijayana government continued to ignore the report. Many actors have suffered in silence all this time. The government is thus complicit in the injustice done to women in Kerala, a state that prides itself on being progressive.