Actor meets Bengal CM Mamata to plead for anti-abuse commission inspired by Hema panel

Ritabhari, a prominent figure in Bengali cinema, met the Chief Minister on Tuesday amid ongoing street protests over the murder of a woman doctor at the RG Kar Hospital last month.

On Wednesday, Ritabhari shared an update on her Instagram account, saying, “The CM has heard all the issues faced by women in the Bengali film industry.”

“Yesterday, Chief Minister @mamata official responded to our request to set up a body similar to Hema Committee. My request that the body should not have any political names or film personalities was heard,” she said in another post.

Ritabhari stressed her neutral stance and clarified, “I do not represent any party. On behalf of women in Tollywood – yesterday in a meeting – CM heard all the problems that have plagued women in the Bengali film industry for ages and a step was taken to remove these predators.”

She was optimistic, but also acknowledged that patience is needed, saying: “Investigations take time, but we hope for a solution.”

During her talks with the Prime Minister, Ritabhari proposed setting up ‘an independent commission consisting of five members’.

She suggested that the panel be chaired by a retired judge and include women from various professions, such as doctors and lawyers. The aim of this committee would be to investigate incidents of sexual harassment in the Bangladeshi film industry and prepare a comprehensive report.

Responding to an Instagram user’s question about her stand on the RG Kar case, Ritabhari said, “The case remains a top priority. While the formation of this committee is a crucial step towards protecting women in the film industry, it does not mean that the RG Kar situation is resolved.”

Earlier, Ritabhari had advocated for such a commission in her social media posts, urging the Chief Minister to consider her recommendations. She had stated that setting up such a commission “would be the first step towards dismantling the system of exploitation.”

Ritabhari reflected on the impact of the Hema Commission’s findings on Malayalam cinema and wondered why similar measures had not been taken in Bengali cinema.

She expressed her concerns about the safety of aspiring actresses, noting: “The reports of abuse are all too familiar to me and others I know. We have a responsibility to protect young actresses who enter the industry with dreams, only to be exploited.”