Tollywood: ALIFA demands release of subcommittee report

ALIFA demands release of subcommittee report on Tollywood

ALIFA demands release of subcommittee report on Tollywood. (iStock)

The All-India Feminist Alliance of National Alliance of People’s Movement (ALIFA-NAPM) has urged the Telangana government to release the long-awaited report of its sub-committee on ‘Sexual Harassment and Gender Discrimination in Film and Television Industry’.

The report, tabled in 2022 in the presence of a high-level committee, makes crucial recommendations aimed at ensuring a safe and dignified working environment for thousands of women, transgender and working-class people in the entertainment industry.

In a statement to Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy on September 8, ALIFA stressed the urgency of making the sub-committee report public and implementing its recommendations within a stipulated timeframe.

The organisation believes that this move is “essential to ensure justice and promote accountability in the Telugu film and television industry”, which has faced multiple allegations of harassment and exploitation.

The alliance referred to the recent report by the Kerala government’s Justice Hema Committee in August 2024, which empowered women in the Malayalam film industry to come forward with their stories of abuse.

ALIFA urged the Telangana government to follow Kerala’s lead by publishing the report and commit to its recommendations to combat sexual harassment and improve gender equality in the sector.

The two-page statement was signed by 53 women activists from across the country.

Related: Subcommittee Report Flags Sexual Favours in Tollywood: Why Isn’t Telangana Govt Making It Public?

Subcommittee report highlights deplorable conditions

Women group demands Telangana govt release report of sub-committee on Telugu cinema

ALIFA-NAPM demands that the Telangana government releases the report of its sub-committee on Telugu cinema. (Supplied)

The high-level committee was formed in April 2019 following actor Sri Reddy’s protest in 2018, where he highlighted the issues of discrimination and sexual exploitation in Telugu cinema.

Women’s rights activists raised concerns about widespread sexual harassment, leading to the formation of the panel after a Public Interest Litigation was filed in the High Court. The high-level committee in turn formed a sub-committee to study the widespread issues.

The subcommittee, which operated from 2019 to 2022, met with councils, associations and professionals from 24 disciplines within the film and television industry to gain insight into working conditions, contracts, wage structures and accountability.

The committee also consulted key industry bodies such as the Producers Council and the Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce. The findings were submitted to the then Chief Secretary Somesh Kumar in June 2022.

ALIFA noted that despite this, working conditions for women and vulnerable groups in the Telugu film and television industries remain deplorable. The recommendations of the subcommittee to address issues such as gender-based exploitation, sexual harassment and lack of safeguards for workers are yet to be implemented.

ALIFA concluded the statement by calling on the Telangana government to make the report public at the earliest and take all necessary measures to improve working conditions and ensure justice for those affected.

(Edited by Y Krishna Jyothi)