99% of film industry safe for women, only some create black mark: Filmmaker Krishna Hebbale

Bengaluru: The film industry is as good as other industries when it comes to workplace safety for women, according to Kannada actor and director Krishna Hebbale. 

"Ninety-nine per cent of the film industry is as safe as any other industry. Only a handful of people create a black mark,” he said, speaking about the impact of the Hema Committee Report at the inaugural ceremony of Mediacon 2025, organised by the School of Communication and Media Studies of St Joseph’s University, on Thursday. 

Addressing long-standing concerns about workplace culture and security in the entertainment industry, he said the fallout of such a report had made people more conscious of their act. 

Themed around 'Cinema Crossroads and Digital Frontiers', the conference examined the evolving relationship between cinema, society, and media. 

A panel discussion — featuring actor Sruthi Hariharan, journalists Anjana George and Nandini Chandrashekar, and Women in Cinema Collective (WCC) member Miriam Joseph — focused on gender dynamics, working conditions, and policy recommendations, particularly in the film industry. 

St Joseph’s University Registrar Melvin Colaco, SCMS Dean Richard Rego, HoD Marudhu Pandiyan, and student coordinators Shoaib Shakeel and Rakshith Bhoppana were among those in attendance.