Members of Women in Cinema Collective speak during a press conference in Kochi. File
| Photo Credit: The Hindu
The report of the three-member Justice Hema Committee, formed in 2017 was released on August 19, 2024 revealing shocking horrid tales of discrimination, exploitation and sexual harassment of women in the Malayalam film industry. The report, submitted by the committee to the Kerala government in December 2019, was released with limited redactions.
The Hema Committee, comprising retired High Court Justice K. Hema, former actor Sharada, and retired IAS officer K.B. Valsala Kumari. was formed in 2017 after Kerala-based Women in Cinema Collective’s (WCC) petition, to study issues of sexual harassment and gender inequality in Malayalam film industry. The WCC itself came into existence after a Malayalam woman actor came forward alleging abduction and sexual assault on her in Kochi. The investigation done by a team of Kerala Police converged on Malayalam actor Dileep.
Explained: What the Hema Committee report says about the Malayalam film industry
The report reveals that sexual favours have been considered a passkey to the Malayalam film industry for a significant period. The existence of a ‘power group’, that is capable of controlling the whole industry, and ‘casting couch’ are allegedly in the play in the industry, as the report revealed.
These affect a range of women across the industry — actors, technicians, make-up artists, dancers and support staff. The report also deals with other inequities that disadvantage women in the industry, including the lack of essential facilities such as toilets, changing rooms, safe transportation, and accommodation at the shooting spots which are violative of the right to privacy; and discrimination in remuneration, and a lack of binding contractual agreements.
After the release of the report, several female actors have come forward with sexual harassment accusations against many actors and film technicians in the industry, leading to a potential #MeToo movement in the Malayalam film industry.
This is a compilation of The Hindu’s coverage of the Justice Hema Committee report
