Samantha Ruth Prabhu.
| Photo Credit: PTI-
Lauding the efforts of Women in Cinema Collective (WCC), actor Samantha Ruth Prabhu has urged the Telangana government to publish the subcommittee report on sexual harassment. On the lines of WCC, The Voice of Women, a support group for women in the Telugu film industry (TFI), was created in 2019.
“We urge the Telangana government to publish the submitted sub committee report on sexual harassment, which can help frame government and industry policies, to establish a safe working environment for women in the TFI,” wrote the actor on Instagram.
“We, the women of the Telugu film industry welcome the Hema Committee report and applaud the persistent efforts of the WCC in Kerala, which has laid the path to this moment,” she added.
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On Thursday (August 28, 2024) Samantha expressed her support for the WCC for its relentless efforts in advocating for a safer and more equitable work environment for women in the industry. “For years, I’ve followed the incredible work of the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC) in Kerala. Their journey has been anything but easy. Now, as the serious implications of the Hema Committee report come to light, we owe a debt of gratitude to WCC,” she had said.
The K Hema Committee report on the issues faced by women in the Malayalam film industry, published on Monday, five years after it was submitted to the Kerala government, revealed horrid tales of sexual exploitation, illegal bans, discrimination, drug and alcohol abuse, wage disparity and in some cases, inhuman working conditions.
On the back of the report, allegations of sexual harassment from several women have rocked the Malayalam film industry. The Kerala Police has registered an FIR against veteran actor Siddique on charges of rape and criminal intimidation while actor Jayasurya and actor-MLA Mukesh have been booked on sexual harassment charges.
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Amid growing allegations of sexual assault and misbehaviour raised by women against its members, the Association of Malayalam Artistes (AMMA) dissolved, including president and superstar Mohanlal. Apart from Samantha, noted actors Khusbhu and Swara Bhaskar spoke about the issue, expressing the need for women safety in the film industry.
