‘There is no power group in the cinema’

Veteran actor Mammootty on Sunday shared his thoughts on the ongoing controversy in the Malayalam film industry following allegations of sexual harassment by actresses and reacted to the Justice Hema Committee report that was made public recently.

In a Facebook post, Mammootty wrote a long note which read, “This post is based on the current developments that Malayalam cinema is facing. The organizational method is that the organization and the leadership of the actors are the first to respond. I have been waiting for this for so long because I believe that I can give my opinion as a member only after such professional responses. Cinema is the epitome of society. All the good and bad in society is in the movies. The film industry is something that society pays a lot of attention to. Therefore, all the small and big things that happen there will be a big discussion. To prevent anything untoward from happening, filmmakers should be careful and vigilant so that nothing untoward happens in this sector.”

He praised the initiative of the Hema Commission and said, “The Justice Hema Commission was set up by the government to study the film industry and prepare a report to suggest solutions and recommend measures after something happened that should never have happened. We wholeheartedly welcome and support the recommendations and solutions outlined in that report. It is high time that all associations in the film industry without distinction join hands to implement them. The police investigation into the complaints filed is proceeding vigorously. The full version of the Justice Hema Commission report is before the court.”

He added: “There is no ‘power group’ in cinema. Cinema is not an arena where such things can exist. Justice Hema requested that the practical recommendations of the commission report should be implemented and necessary legislation should be passed if there are legal hurdles. Ultimately, cinema has to survive.”

Earlier this month, a redacted version of the Justice Hema Committee report on harassment of women in the Malayalam cinema industry was made public. It contains shocking accounts of harassment, exploitation and abuse of female professionals.

The 235-page report, released after redacting the names of witnesses and suspects, says the Malayalam film industry is controlled by about 10 to 15 male producers, directors and actors who dominate and exercise control over the industry.

The report of the three-member panel headed by a former judge of the Kerala High Court, set up by the state government in 2017, was submitted to the Pinarayi Vijayan-led Kerala government in December 2019 and made public only this month.

The Kerala government on Sunday announced that it has decided to set up a special investigation team, headed by a senior police officer, to probe allegations of sexual abuse in the Malayalam film industry.

“Following recent interviews and statements by several women in the Malayalam film industry, in which they detailed the difficulties they have faced, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Sunday convened a meeting with senior police officials,” an official release from the Chief Minister’s Office said.