‘We do not want to punish or ban anyone’

Actor Sheela, as you said, has made a welcome statement. On the other hand, committee member and veteran actor Sharada has made some comments that have been labeled as regressive. However, that can also be seen as a collective voice of many from that generation. Can you share your thoughts on this?

Cheerful: Sheela is also from that generation, so the two people from that generation may have different opinions on how they want to approach their workspace personally. It is disheartening that a committee member made such a statement. She does not deny the problem, but believes that there is no need to discuss the topic openly. This comes from an old way of thinking. I see it as a concern of mothers at home, who feel that it is wrong for women to talk about such things in public. It is unfortunate that someone with such a mindset was included in the committee.

Divja: I personally think that when we read the commission report, we can understand the views of these three people (Justice Hema, Sharada and former bureaucrat KB Valsalakumari). People are not giving the microphone to the other two; they are only asking for her (Sarada’s) opinion.

Cheerful: People will look for the comments to validate the comment that is most prominent in the public opinion. In this commission report there is no conclusion or suggestion that all three persons studied and made together. Women are blamed for many things, such as their clothing or behavior. I would say that such comments show the lack of personal development. The conditioning has not changed; some are in the patriarchal value system.

Divja: What we are striving for is structural changes in the industry…

Cheerful: When the industry undergoes structural changes, the attitude of society will also change. This profession should be open to everyone, creating the belief that anyone can enter it. And if we want positive results, we need strict rules and regulations. Otherwise, if it is a namesake, the changes will not be sincere and there is a chance that they will be rejected outright. And tomorrow we may not have much say.

Have you ever felt such pressure?

Cheerful: It’s not really busy, but we often lose work without explanation. Our names are on the list, schedules are made, and then suddenly we are taken out of the project. When we ask why, they just say, “It’s cinema…” Even if the director or writer wants us, we can still be taken out. This has been happening for a long time.

Divja: Personally, my workflow has taken a hit. We understand it very well, that’s why we speak out. But it’s okay. We started talking about it, and now the work is coming, and more women will join.

Cheerful: In other industries like Tamil and Hindi, women are creating projects that focus on women’s stories. Men should be able to do this too. But with the current power structure, many are struggling to make films and producers are under a lot of pressure. Directors and producers are suffering from power plays. If more people were gender sensitive, we would see more of these kinds of stories. If women had the power to produce, write scripts and make films, the industry’s perception of women would change — they would not just be seen as actresses but also be positioned differently. Unfortunately, this is still missing in our industry.

You are speaking very openly now. Are you afraid that this will affect your work?

Cheerful: I have never had such fears. My positive and negative sides are that I have no respect for structural hierarchy. I believe in giving equal respect to everyone. I am not part of any religion, political party or group. Despite the risks, my greatest comfort is my freedom to express my opinion without looking around. I am not going to live 500 years and I do not see life as human-centered. With that belief, I have no fear. We all have to die eventually, so I choose to die peacefully.

Divja: When I first started speaking up, I was scared. But there’s a push from within – that it’s not just about me. That’s how I decided to speak out against the actor who misbehaved with me, after I realized that it wasn’t a mistake or a one-off incident – ​​the person had behaved in a similar way with other artists too.

In this profession, many people don’t even realize the issues, and some believe it’s their duty to perpetuate them. We often don’t fully understand the impact of speaking out until it affects us personally. Despite this, we continue to speak out. It’s hard when there’s no work, because we’re not just activists; we’re trying to make a difference in our field. In 10 years, people might wonder where these women are.

Cheerful: We are the ones who chased away PK Rosy. In the 96 years of history of our industry, we know what happened to that Dalit girl. Our struggle is never easy. No matter how much progress we make, there will always be challenges for some people. I am completely dependent on this work, with no other job or source of income, so there are fears. But living with fear is not useful; it is better to live with hope.

Divja: In the last five years, people started asking about us only after the Hema committee report. I am 26 years old and I am struggling to find jobs that I love. We also have personal lives apart from our profession. It is crucial to understand and change this situation. Malayalam cinema is praised worldwide for its creativity and should also be praised for its professional and systematic structure.

Cheerful: Not only that, our industry is small, but we have managed to create such a big movement, which is a great achievement for us. One of our strengths is our high level of democratic consciousness. The idea that the industry can be destroyed is unfounded because art, especially cinema, is essential and cannot be eliminated from society. Cinema is an integral part of our existence.