Why Hema panel report on sexual harassment in Mollywood applies beyond Kerala – Firstpost

The Hema Commission report on discrimination, harassment and exploitation faced by women in the Malayalam film industry has sent shockwaves across Kerala. The report was released by the Kerala government on Monday (August 19), more than four years after it was submitted to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

The damning revelations throw light on the pervasive and persistent sexual harassment plaguing the Malayalam cinema industry. The report has evoked strong reactions from film stars, politicians and the women’s panel.

Let’s take a closer look.

About casting couch and more

The Hema Commission report has documented disturbing accounts of sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse of women in the Malayalam film industry. It details the problems faced by women in cinema.

Many have claimed that they faced unwanted advances even before starting work, as reported PTI number.

The report details the existence of the casting couch practice in the industry, where powerful men demand sexual favors in exchange for work opportunities in films. The report noted that female actors who agreed to a “compromise” were given code names, while those who refused were thrown out of the film industry.

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

Women are also exposed to suggestive and vulgar comments from men in the workplace. Other cases of harassment include drunk male actors knocking on the doors of their female co-stars’ hotels.

In one of the stories mentioned, a female actor was forced to play the role of her abuser’s wife and perform a hugging scene just a day after he attacked her, which was deeply traumatizing for her.

Women are denied even the most basic amenities, such as toilets and dressing rooms on set.

Fear of retaliation, including threats to their lives, prevents women from coming forward and reporting cases of sexual abuse. “Many of those investigated by the commission were afraid to reveal things they had experienced… we realized that their fears were justified,” Indian Express reported that they cited the document. Women who complained were victims of cyberattacks, especially from toxic fan clubs.

In 2017, the Kerala government had constituted a three-member committee headed by retired Kerala High Court judge K Hema to look into the issues of sexual harassment and gender inequality in the Malayalam film industry. This was done following a case of sexual assault on an actress involving actor Dileep.

After speaking to several women from the industry on various topics, the panel submitted a 295-page report to the Kerala Chief Minister in December 2019. ANNI-The 63 pages of the report were redacted before it was made public this week.

The Kerala High Court on Thursday (August 22) asked the state government to submit the full report of the Hema panel, including the parts omitted for confidentiality reasons, it said Indian Express.

Only male ‘mafia’

According to the Hema panel report, there is an influential group of men, called a “mafia” by a prominent actor, who exercise considerable control and make decisions in the industry. This is a lobby of 10 to 15 men, consisting of producers, directors, actors and production managers, who impose unofficial “bans” on anyone who speaks out about the problems in the industry. Anyone who displeases this group or falls out of favor can also be banned.

The report noted that women are prevented from speaking out because “they would be banned from the cinema and exposed to other forms of intimidation, because such individuals are powerful in the cinema and all the men in the cinema will collectively support them.”

“No man or woman should utter a word that could offend anyone belonging to the power group, because such a person will be swept away from the industry by the powerful lobby,” the report said.

The Hema Commission report pointed out that a prominent male actor who called this group of men ‘mafia’ not only lost work in films, but also in TV series. ‘Although he is one of the best actors in the industry, he was kept away when the 10 to 15 joined forces to keep him out of the cinema,’ The News Minute (TNM) quoted the document as follows.

The Hema panel report states that setting up an Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) may not be effective as its members could be threatened or coerced by powerful individuals within the Malayalam film industry.

Instead, the panel suggested that the government draft a suitable law and set up a tribunal to address the issues of women in the film industry.

Responses to Hema report

The opposition Congress party in Kerala strongly criticised the Pinarayi Vijayan-led LDF government after the contents of the report came to light.

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said on Monday: “It is absolutely scandalous and shocking that the government has not prepared this report for almost five years now.”

Congress MP VD Satheesan, the leader of the opposition in the Kerala Assembly, accused the state government of protecting powerful individuals in the film industry. “Whose interest did the government want to protect by covering up a series of atrocities?” he said.

The Kerala government defended the delay by citing sensitive information in the report.

The Congress-led UDF has demanded an inquiry into the complaints of women IPS officers.

CM Vijayan has said that the government is seriously considering the panel’s suggestions. Kerala Chief Minister Saji Cherian has promised that the report’s recommendations will be implemented soon, it reported The South First.

The Kerala Women’s Commission has called for immediate intervention by the authorities. “Based on the suggestions of the Hema Committee, the Women’s Commission will recommend to the government to take necessary steps to ensure that there are complaints committees as per the POSH Act at shooting locations,” P Sathi Devi, head of the women’s panel, said, according to PTI number.

The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 (PoSH) was enacted to prevent sexual abuse of women at workplace.

The Women in Cinema Collective (WCC), an organization of female professionals in the industry, hoped that the government would study the report and take action. In a Facebook post it said: “We sincerely hope that the government will take all necessary steps to study and act on the recommendations. This is the voice of women, and it must be heard!”

Sarada, a veteran actress and member of the Hema panel, said casting couch has existed in the film industry for a long time, but it was rarely discussed openly. She said that while actors have had consensual relationships in the past, the dynamics have changed over the years and terms like “compromise” and “adjustment” have become more common, reported Onmanorama.

Late actor Thilakan’s son Shammi has revealed that the “well-known actor” referred to in the report, who was banned by the powerful lobby, was his father.

Sonia Thilakan, the daughter of the late veteran actor, hit out at this group of 15 members in the industry, accusing them of having a hidden agenda and targeting her father as “mafia gangsters”. She said that a leading actor, who claimed to feel guilty about the way he treated his father, later behaved badly towards her, The South First reported.

“If someone like me, who is part of the industry, faces such problems, you can imagine the situation of lead actors and other female actors,” Sonia said.

Bollywood actor Tanushree Dutta, who became the face of the MeToo movement in India, dismissed the Hema panel report as “useless”.

“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,” she reportedly said.

Lakshmi Manchu, an actress and daughter of leading Telugu star Mohan Babu, said, “Life is not fair for women.” She said her experience in Mollywood was different because everyone knew her father.

“Stand up for yourself. I was pushed over, but I stood my ground. I may lose a few (things), but I know I win for the person who comes after me,” Manchu said Hindustan Times.

Why the report is important

The Hema panel report resonates beyond Kerala. Sexual harassment in the Indian film industry remains a largely silent issue. Those who came forward with their stories of abuse during the MeToo movement have not found justice, and their alleged attackers are already back in business.

While Bollywood celebrities have spoken out about their experiences on the casting couch, this is the first time that an Indian government has constituted a panel to explore the issues faced by women in film.

As the WCC noted, this is the first time a report has been released on the functioning of gender in the film industry.

The report and recommendations of the commission are of great importance. Only time will tell what Kerala will do to bring about the necessary reforms and whether other state governments will take note.

With input from agencies