Hema Commission report reveals rampant sexual harassment of women in the Malayalam film industry
A significant portion of the report was omitted for the privacy of those who testified before the commission.
The Justice Hema Commission report on the systemic abuse of women in the Malayalam film industry was released by the Pinarayi Vijayan-led LDF government on Monday. The commission was led by retired high court judge K. Hema, veteran actress Sarada, and former civil service official K B Vatsalakumari.
For the local film industry, the report had been a looming threat for the past five years. Since the commission submitted the report to chief minister Vijayan on December 31, 2019, influential people in the industry have been trying, overtly and covertly, to bury it.
Despite pressure from the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC) and other women's organisations in the state, the Vijayan government took its time to release the report. However, there have been hints from the beginning that it contains sordid exposures of sexual harassment and coercion.
Now, a day after the government released the report after expunging crucial portions, including testimonies given against top actors and directors, accounts in it reveal widespread sexual exploitation, large-scale drug abuse and the heightened presence of mafia groups in the industry.
The report has put the film industry leaders in the state on the defensive and could become a powerful political tool against Vijayan and his cultural affairs minister, Saji Cheriyan.
Critics said the government had been aware of the report's troubling content for five years but failed to take any action to address the issues faced by women in the industry. The opposition Congress and various women's organisations in the state have questioned the government's motives for keeping the report hidden all these years, possibly due to pressure from top industry leaders.
If anyone deserves credit for releasing the report, albeit edited to remove names, it would be A A Hakkim, one of the state's information commissioners. While hearing a petition on the Hema committee report, he ordered its immediate release. A producer and a female actor had approached the state high court seeking injunctions against its release, but the court vindicated Hakim's position.
When HT contacted Cheriyan, he claimed that he had not read the full report and that it was in the custody of the Information Commissioner. He said that no female actor had approached him or his predecessor, A K Balan, with any harassment complaint in the last five years, so the government didn't feel any urgent need to release it to the public. He also cited legal obstacles for not making the report public so far. However, he now promises to take follow-up actions to clean up the industry within the next month.
The State Women's Commission chairperson, P. Satheedevi, also a senior leader of the ruling LDF, termed the report shocking. She assured that the commission would demand strict measures from the government to rectify the issues in the film industry. She emphasised that the commission would no longer tolerate harassment and discrimination against women in the film industry.
Meanwhile, a group of youth Congress leaders filed complaints with the commission and state police, seeking to register harassment cases against the offenders mentioned in the unedited report.
The industry's response to the developments was lukewarm as expected. When HT contacted the influential Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA) general secretary, actor Siddique, he said he could only comment on the commission's findings after speaking with its executive and going into further detail on the charges mentioned in the report.
AMMA president and Malayalam superstar Mohanlal was also contacted, but his family said he had been hospitalised for over a week and could not speak.
Superstar Mammootty, who is usually outspoken about social issues and holds the chairman post on the CPI(M) affiliated television channel Kairali, was unavailable for comment despite repeated attempts.
No major actor in the Malayalam film industry has publicly shared their stance on the committee report so far. The spokesperson for AMMA and well-known actor, K. B. Ganesh Kumar, currently serves as the transport minister in the Vijayan government. Another actor, Mukesh, is an MLA for the ruling front. Both have refrained from making any public comments.
The report reveals unsavoury aspects of the local film industry, including the existence of an all-male power group. This group comprises 15 famous individuals, including directors, producers, and leading actors, who have been accused of not respecting women's rights.
The three-member commission found that this power group, which includes a superstar, determines who should work in the industry and be cast in films.
Director Vinayan told HT that he has reasons to believe the distressing details about sexual harassment of women in the industry, targeting both actors and technicians, as explained in the report.
"It's quite disheartening to see cinema organisations and top stars remaining least concerned. I have seen several instances of drivers with a criminal background and goons infiltrating the industry and working as proxies for top actors. The government must hold the sector accountable for the shocking instances of sexual harassment, drug peddling, and mafia influence," he said.
Dubbing artist Bhagyalakshmi told HT that she was sexually harassed on multiple occasions and her refusal to yield caused her to lose opportunities.
"It is true that victims of harassment are often hesitant to approach the police as they fear losing their livelihood. I agree with the critical issues such as pay disparities, lack of privacy, and inadequate facilities for women in the industry, which are highlighted in the report," she said.
The WCC said the release of the report was significant progress in creating a professional environment that is respectful, fair, and free from exploitation. The report was based on the accounts of 51 people, mostly members of the WCC.
The committee was established in response to the unfortunate incident in 2017 when an actor was abducted and sexually assaulted in a moving car near Kochi. This incident received widespread media attention as it was the first in Kerala. The survivor filed a First Information Report (FIR) after the incident.
After the incident, the police detained all of the suspects. This incident not only sparked a conversation about workplace harassment in the film industry but also led to the formation of the WCC, the first collective of its kind.
Following the incident, several artists, including Rima Kallingal, Parvathy Thiruvothu, Geetu Mohandas, Padmapriya Janakiraman, and Revathi, as well as filmmaker Anjali Menon and editor Beena Paul, came together. They approached Vijayan, requesting an investigation into cases of sexual harassment and gender discrimination in the industry.
``Numerous female actors testified before the commission, stating that they were often asked for sexual favours in exchange for job opportunities, creating a hazardous and unequal environment. Despite being aware of the report's contents, the chief minister and cultural affairs minister chose to keep it a secret to protect the interests of influential men in the industry,'' said Kerala's opposition leader, V. D. Satheesan.
Women's rights activist PE Usha has accused the government of trying to protect individuals named in the report by withholding their details. "The government delayed the release of the report to shield influential figures in the industry. They have now made it public, but significant details have been concealed, and an action taken report has not been provided. This has not resulted in any progress for women," she said.
Women's rights activists emphasise that several of the committee's findings necessitate follow-up police action, as the charges fall under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act and the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition, and Redressal) Act 2013 (POSH Act).
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