Explained | Justice Hema Committee report on harassment faced by female actors in Malayalam film industry

Thiruvananthapuram: Justice Hema Committee report released on Monday sheds light on the widespread and persistent sexual harassment faced by women in the Malayalam cinema industry, with many alleging they were subjected to unwanted advances in the industry.

The report highlighted the widespread nature of the issue, sparking concerns about the safety and well-being of female professionals in the industry.

Excerpts from the committee report:

Issues faced by the women in the Malayalam film industry

A woman actor who suffered sexual abuse by a male actor had to act with the same man as husband and wife on the next day. It took 17 retakes as her resentment and hatred was reflecting on her face. She was eventually criticised by the director for it.

This is one of the many harrowing experiences faced by women in the Malayalam film industry that are part of the Hema committee report.

"In cinema there is a general assumption that women come to cinema for making money and she will surrender to anything. Glamour of the film industry is just an exterior glitter. Hovering over the same are dark clouds of distress and endured agony, kept hidden from the outer world," the committee states.

Key findings of the committee

• "Compromise" and "adjustment" are two terms which are very familiar among women in the Malayalam film industry. They are asked to make herself available for sex on demand. Unless women take somebody from the family when they go to work, they fear that their safety could get compromised at the workplace. In most of the hotels where they are staying, the doors are knocked by the men working in the cinema who would be mostly in a state of intoxication.

• During menstrual cycle, the women in cinema are not provided facilities even to change sanitary napkins. Many women are forced to hold back the urge for urination for a very long time.

• A prominent actor referred to the powerful lobby which exists in the film industry as "mafia" in cinema could do anything in cinema and even ban very prominent directors, producers, actors or any other person. No man nor woman dare to utter any word which may offend anyone belonging to the power group, because such a person will be wiped out of the industry by the powerful lobby. Even some prominent male artists were banned for a considerably long time for silly reasons. But they were also hesitant to speak against the industry fearing the future.

• Women are paid less than men even when they are equal from the point of view of market value, talents and efforts put in by the actors. However, even if a woman performs better, she is never regarded as a frontrunner when it comes to fixing remuneration.

• Dancers and junior artists were learnt to be instructed not to speak anything against anybody in the cinema before the committee. They fear that will affect their 'future chances'. Even though Rs 1,800 to Rs 5,000 are given from the production set for payment to the junior artists as their wages, per day, many intermediaries misappropriate the amount and the artists are paid Rs 450 to 500.

• There is no time limit for the work of a junior artist. It begins at 7 am and it can go up to 2 am next day. They are not given any amount for overtime.

With PTI inputs