Rajinikanth claims he knows nothing about the Hema committee report

Actor Rajinikanth (Supplied)

The Justice Hema Committee report, which exposed the ugly underbelly of the Malayalam film industry, continues to send shockwaves across India with more and more celebrities being called out every day. In this context, Tamil actor-turned-‘superstar’ Rajinikanth has said that he knows nothing about the report.

The actor was returning from a shoot on Sunday, September 1, when reporters gathered outside his Chennai home spotted him and asked him for his opinion on the report. When asked if a similar committee should be set up in the Tamil film industry, Rajinikanth looked surprised and said he knew nothing about the Hema committee report.

He addressed the media and said: “I’m sorry, I’m not aware of any such report. I don’t know anything about it.”

Rajinikanth returned from Vijayawada after a five-day shoot.

His comment on the report, which sent shockwaves through the film industry, if not the entire country, has shocked people, who took to social media to express their disappointment. Writer and poet Meena Kandasamy criticised Rajinikanth’s remark, calling it ‘shameful’.

Really scandalous. https://t.co/epQEKsJGOF

—Dr. Meena Kandasamy (@meenakandasamy) September 1, 2024

Related: MeToo in Mollywood: The Dark Side of Malayalam Cinema and the Ugly Truths That Keep Coming Out

Report of the Hema Justice Commission

The film released after five years on August 19 and as expected opened Pandora’s box in Mollywood. The film exposed a deep-rooted culture of sexual harassment, discrimination and misconduct in Mollywood, in what is called ‘adjustments’ or ‘compromises’.

Several tinsel screen idols have lost their halos in the overwhelming MeToo waves triggered by the redacted version of the Hema committee report. A special investigation team, including women IPS officers, is now probing the allegations.

After not responding to the issue for a while, Malayalam Mohanlal recently resigned as president of the Association for Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA) and actor Mammootty praised the Kerala government for the report.

Refuting the claims of a “power centre” in the Malayalam film industry, Mammootty said, “Cinema is not an arena where such things can exist.” He urged the industry to join hands and fight unitedly. “It is time for all associations in the film industry to join hands and implement them,” he wrote on social media.

Meanwhile, Mohanlal, after his resignation from AMMA, claimed that he is neither part of any power group nor is he aware of the power group mentioned in the Hema committee report. He further said that it is painful to see that the Malayalam industry is being tarnished everywhere due to the current situation. This was for the first time that Mohanlal addressed the media after the release of the expert panel report that threw light on the alleged harassment and exploitation of women professionals in the Malayalam film industry.

(Edited by Neena)

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