Report of the Hema committee: responses from the government and actors

The report, which was submitted in 2019 and is now public, addresses issues such as sexual harassment, inadequate facilities such as women’s toilets and changing rooms, pay gaps and gender discrimination.

One disturbing revelation in the report involves an actor who had to perform a hugging scene with an actor who had previously assaulted her. She played the man’s wife and struggled through 17 retakes, frustrating the director.

The report found that it was very stressful for her to continue working with the same actor, reflecting her emotional turmoil.

The Justice Hema Committee report also challenges the belief that women enter cinema for glamour and tolerate any situation. It argues against the misconception that women sacrifice their integrity for fame and opportunity, and emphasises that many pursue their craft out of genuine passion.

Protected privacy, report not withheld: Kerala CM on Hema Justice Commission report

Minister Saji Cherian responds

Saji Cherian, Minister of Fisheries, Culture and Youth Affairs, announced that the Hema Committee’s recommendations would be implemented soon. He acknowledged that he had only reviewed the recommendations so far and planned to read the full report once it was available.

Saji Cherian explained that the delay in the report was due to the advice of the Right to Information Commission, and not due to government negligence. He also noted that he had not received any complaints from actresses during his tenure.

The minister assured that appropriate legal action would be taken if necessary, stressing that the government encourages the reporting of complaints against dominant groups, with swift action guaranteed. He also confirmed that a cinema conclave would be held within two months to implement the recommendations of the commission.

The report, originally scheduled for July 24, was postponed by an order of the Kerala High Court on a petition filed by a Malayalam film producer. The Supreme Court dismissed the petition on August 13 and directed the government to release the report within a week. It was postponed again after actor Ranjini filed a petition in the Supreme Court, which, however, dismissed the petition.

Also Read: Hema Commission Report Reveals Harassment Of Female Actors In Malayalam Industry

My late actor father was targeted: Shammi Thilakan

Shammi Thilakan with his late actor father Thilakan. (Instagram)

Leading actor Shammi Thilakan revealed that the “well-known actor” named in the Justice Hema Committee report, who was banned in the Malayalam film industry by a powerful 15-member group, was his late actor father Thilakan.

According to a report by The New Indian ExpressShammi Thilakan revealed that KB Ganesh Kumar, then president of the Association of Malayalam Television Media Artists (ATMA), was the one who officially banned Thilakan from appearing in television serials, as stated in the report.

The Justice Hema Committee report described an influential group within the film industry as a ‘mafia’. singing“who exercised considerable control. Despite being one of the most talented actors in the industry, Thilakan was marginalized by the coordinated actions of this group, forcing him to leave the film industry and focus on television serials.

But even in the television industry, Thilakan was cornered by the same powerful lobby. The report noted that the ATMA president at that time was also a film actor.

Shammi Thilakan alleged that Ganesh Kumar, currently Kerala’s Transport Minister, has been the chairman of ATMA since its inception and has consistently supported the 15-member group in banning Thilakan from both films and serials.

He also accused a well-known actor of insulting Thilakan during an AMMA meeting and demanded that he leave the meeting.

Hema Commission Report: ‘It is high time to guarantee a safe workplace for female actors’

Sonia Thilakan demands AMMAs dissolution

Malayalam actor Sonia Thilakan. (supplied)

While the Justice Hema Commission report exposed the casting and discrimination against female actors in the Malayalam film industry, Sonia Thilakan, daughter of the late veteran actor Thilakan, lashed out at the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA).

Speaking to the media on August 20, the actress highlighted the problems her father faced. Sonia Thilakan echoed the same sentiment revealed by the Justice Hema Committee in its report, stating that the 15-member power group in Malayalam cinema is very influential.

Sonia Thilakan accused the 15-member group in the Malayalam film industry of having a hidden agenda and targeting her late father as “mafia gangsters”. She added that she could have revealed the names of the Hema committee members who decided to do this. “The names will be made public one day.”

The Malayalam actor also alleged that after her father’s death, a leading actor claimed to feel guilty about the way he treated Thilakan. However, she alleged that he later misbehaved with her. “If someone like me, who is part of the industry, has to face such problems, you can imagine the situation of leading men and other female actors,” she alleged.

Sonia Thilakan further felt that AMMA Secretary General Siddique was being blamed for not responding adequately after the publication of the Justice Hema Committee report. “An association that was so quick to dismiss my father did not respond adequately or take action based on the report. This alone exposes their hypocrisy.”

Sonia Thilakan called for the dissolution of the actors’ association and called for action against those responsible for casting.

“I only know what my father told me. He only revealed the problems in the film industry in 2010. While the dispute with my father was going on, a meeting of the organization was held with about 62 gangsters standing outside. My father called it a ‘mafia’. But no one took it seriously. According to the bylaws of this organization, such matters should remain confidential, but my father chose to speak out,” she recalls.

Sonia Thilakan added: “I am not afraid of filmmakers. I have seen them since I was a child; they were like family. They discussed personal matters with my father. But when this problem arose, they all united against him. What should have been resolved in silence escalated into something much bigger? Is this organisation meant to drive people away and protect oppressors?”

The actor noted that there have been several cases of people being fired for trivial matters due to their fragile egos.

Also read: Malayalam film fraternity reacts to Justice Hema Committee report

No confidence in these committees: Tanushree Dutta

Actor Tanushree Dutta. (X)

Bollywood actor Tanushree Dutta, who led the #MeToo movement in 2018, criticized the commissions and reports, saying, “I don’t understand these commissions and reports. They seem useless. Why did it take seven years to produce a report on events that happened in 2017?”

She also expressed her frustration with how female actors are viewed. “(Female) actors are often seen as morally corrupt rather than human beings, which reflects a primitive mentality that denies them dignity. We have the right to dignity and to protest. They use their male ego to belittle us and portray us as a burden.”

Tanushree Dutta continued, “A safe workplace is a fundamental right for everyone. I have no faith in these committees or the system. It feels like they are wasting our time instead of addressing real issues.”

Talking about Dileep’s continued work despite accusations and Parvathy Thiruvothu’s fight for opportunities despite her advocacy against sexual discrimination, Tanushree Dutta remarked, “It’s bizarre and shows a lack of compassion. Women are expected to conform, stay quiet and not complain. When something serious happens, we are expected to accept it as our fate without making a big deal about it.”

(Edited by Y Krishna Jyothi)

Also read: Kerala Women’s Commission head on further developing Hema Commission report