Sexual exploitation of women rampant in Malayalam cinema, reveals Justice Hema report

The Justice Hema Committee report released on Monday sheds light on the widespread and persistent sexual harassment faced by women in the Malayalam cinema industry, with many claiming to have faced unwanted advances even before they started working.

The report highlighted the widespread nature of the problem and raised concerns about the safety and wellbeing of female professionals in the sector.

The much-awaited 2019 report by the Justice Hema Committee, the government-appointed panel that investigated the issues faced by women in the Malayalam film industry, has revealed explosive accounts of harassment, exploitation and abuse faced by women.

“It has been shown that certain men in the film industry, who are known and respected for their qualities as artists, directors or whoever in the film industry, have shocked certain women in the film industry through sexual harassment and physical advances,” the expert panel said.

Five years after the report was submitted to the government, a copy of the report was provided to the media under the RTI Act.

In a series of shocking and scandalous revelations, the report found that female actors have faced harassment, including cases in the film industry where drunken individuals have knocked on their bedroom doors.

Many of those who experienced sexual harassment were reluctant to report it to the police out of fear.

“The sky is full of mysteries, with its twinkling stars and beautiful moon. But scientific research has shown that the stars do not twinkle and the moon does not look beautiful either,” the report said.

“Don’t trust what you see; even salt looks like sugar,” the report’s opening lines read.

According to the three-member panel’s report, sexual harassment is the biggest problem facing women in the film industry.

“It is the worst evil that women in the film industry face. Women in the film industry are the most reluctant to talk about the sexual harassment they are subjected to, even to other women or close family members,” the report said.

According to the report, female actors who are willing to compromise are given code names, while those who do not are sent off.

The commission said it was “shocked by the stories of sexual harassment” told to it by women working in the Malayalam film industry.

“The offer to act or do some other job in cinema comes with the demand for sexual favors for a woman. As I said, the woman is asked to adapt and compromise, and is asked to submit to sexual demands,” the report said.

The Hema Commission quoted several women from the film industry and pointed out that women who work in cinemas are often accompanied by their parents or close relatives. After all, the demand for sex goes hand in hand with the offer of the opportunity in the cinema and that is why they are concerned about their safety in the workplace.

“In most of the hotels where they stay, doors are knocked on by men who work in the cinema and are probably under the influence. Many women stated that knocking is not polite or decent, but they bang on the door repeatedly, violently,” the report said.

They often feared that the door would collapse and that men would force their way into the room.

The panel stated that while many sexual acts committed against women in cinema fall under the IPC and the definition of the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, prohibition and redressal) Act (POSH), the women who have suffered the atrocities prefer to remain silent.

“An artist added that if they take the case to court or the police, they will face worse consequences, including threats to their lives. The artist added that threats to their lives will not only be directed against the victims, but even their close relatives will be in danger,” the report said.

The day after the complaint, there will be serious cyber attacks on social media, it continues.

The panel report also alleged that the Malayalam film industry is controlled by a “criminal gang” and has a “power nexus” consisting of a handful of producers, directors, actors and production heads.

The report explicitly states that the police should report crimes committed in the sector. However, many people do not fear for their lives.

The panel was set up following the 2017 actress sexual assault case involving actor Dileep, to look into issues of sexual harassment and gender inequality in Malayalam cinema.

(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published via a syndicated news agency feed – PTI)