It took a women’s collective to redress the gender inequality in Malayalam cinema

In her 2010 autobiography, Kadha Thudarum (story continues), Late actor KPAC Lalitha recalled the sexual harassment and bullying she faced from Adoor Bhasi, an influential actor known for his comic roles in Malayalam films. Sometime in the mid-1960s, when he was at the peak of his career, Bhasi stormed into Lalitha’s Chennai home in a drunken stupor and refused to leave.

“It was getting late, but he had no intention of leaving. He was very drunk. His clothes were slipping off, but he didn’t care… He said that if I agreed to surrender to him, I would be offered roles in all his films,” she wrote, adding that his “offer” included a car and a house.

Desperate, Lalitha and her younger brother Rajan decided to walk for almost an hour to the house of veteran actor Bahadur at 4 am to seek help. The three managed to get Bhasi to leave, but there were consequences to turning him down. Lalitha wrote that her opportunities in the Malayalam film industry were drying up. She petitioned the Chennai-based Malayala Chalachitra Parisad, then the only union for Malayalam film workers. But the then president of the Parisad discouraged her and warned her of severe backlash.

It has now been almost six decades since the incident took place. But as the findings of the Hema Committee show that even today, women actors and other female stakeholders in the Kerala film industry have to maintain a stoic silence about sexual abuse and misconduct by male actors, producers and directors. There were several stories in the report that spoke of systemic violence, sexual exploitation and unequal working conditions for women in the industry.

The aftermath of the publication of the panel’s reports – after a wait of almost five years – has been dramatic. Several female film workers have filed allegations against male colleagues ranging from persistent demands for sexual favors and intimidation to sexual assault and rape. Of these, 18 women have filed complaints of sexual harassment against nine film personalities with a special investigation team set up by the state.

Some of the biggest names in the Malayalam film industry are now being investigated, including actors Siddique, Mukesh and Jayasurya and director Ranjith. A host of lesser-known but still important players in the industry have also been exposed. In the wake of these allegations, Siddique and Ranjith were forced to resign from their posts at the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA) and the Kerala State Chalachitra Academy respectively. Later, the entire executive committee of AMMA, including its president superstar Mohanlal, resigned, leaving one of the most powerful industry bodies headless.

But it’s the women in Cinema Collective (WCC), a highly vocal and tenacious group of 18 women from Malayalam cinema, including actor Parvathy Thiruvoth and film editor Bina Paul, who have truly driven this dramatic shift. The collective’s work over the last seven years has not only influenced the film industry, but the society itself has seen the need for a gender-just workspace.

“They risked their careers to fight for justice. The only parallel to this is the protest of the nuns in the case of Bishop Franco,” said Rekha Raj, a postdoctoral researcher whose research focuses on women’s labor force participation, representation and gender inequality in the Malayalam film industry. She added that the WCC’s campaign had come at a high price for the personal lives and careers of its members.

The origins of WCC lie in a shocking and shameless action of violence and intimidation plotted against a young female actor by a superstar in 2017. She was abducted and sexually assaulted in Kochi, allegedly as an act of personal revenge, according to the state police. Two months later, Dileep, a prominent actor-producer in the Malayalam film industry, was arrested by the investigating team in an alleged criminal conspiracy.

The WCC was formed in response to the outcry. One of the first things it did was meet Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and demand that the government ensure gender equality in the film industry and, more importantly, a safe workplace for women. In response, the Kerala government that year formed a three-member committee headed by retired Supreme Court judge Justice K Hema.

The panel’s report was finalised in 2019, but based on a letter from Justice Hema seeking privacy for the survivors, the government decided not to release the report. It was not even discussed in the meeting. Only recently, the state information commissioner A Abdul Hakeem ordered the release of the report, except for a few parts, to the RTI applicants.

The publication of the report is a turning point, Rekha said. “Until then, such revelations were subject to public opprobrium. The Hema Commission report gave legal status to the allegations. The developments will hopefully democratise this industry. However, it is unfortunate that the state government is not acting on the recommendations of the report. Unlike the #metoo allegations, these are documented in the Hema Commission report.”

Rekha points out that gender inequality is visible in every step and aspect of filmmaking, right from who gets fed first on set. She also emphasises the need to introduce standard pay for workers in the industry.