Why Hema panel report on sexual harassment in Mollywood matters beyond Kerala

The Hema Committee report on the discrimination, harassment and exploitation faced by women in the Malayalam film industry has sent shockwaves across Kerala. The report was released by the Kerala government on Monday (August 19), over four years after it was submitted to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

The damning disclosures shed light on the pervasive and persistent sexual harassment plaguing the Malayalam cinema industry. The report has evoked strong reactions from film stars, politicians and the women’s panel.

Let’s take a closer look.

On casting couch and more

The Hema Committee report has documented distressing accounts of sexual harassment, exploitation, and ill-treatment of women in the Malayalam film industry. It lays down the issues faced by women in cinema.

Many have alleged they faced unwanted advances even before starting the work, reported PTI.

The report talks about the existence of the practice of casting couch in the industry, wherein powerful men demand sexual favours in return for work opportunities in movies. It mentioned that female actors who agreed to “compromise” are given code names, while those who refuse are forced out of the film industry.

“It has come out in evidence that certain men in cinema, who are well-known and well-reputed for their ability as artist, director or whoever he be in the film industry have shocked certain women in cinema by sexual harassment and physical advances made by them towards them,” the report stated.

Women are also subjected to suggestive and vulgar comments by men in the workplace. Other instances of harassment included drunk male actors knocking on the doors of their female co-actors’ hotels.

One of the accounts mentioned says a female actor had to act as the wife of her abuser and perform a hugging scene just a day after he assaulted her, which caused her deep trauma.

Women are denied even basic facilities, such as toilets and changing rooms on sets.

Fear of retribution, including threats to life, prevents women from coming forward and reporting instances of sexual abuse . “Many who were examined before the committee were afraid to reveal things which they experienced… we realised that their fear is well-founded,” Indian Express reported citing the document. Women who complained were subjected to cyber attacks, especially from toxic fan clubs.

In 2017, the Kerala government had constituted a three-member committee led by retired Kerala High Court judge K Hema to examine the issues of sexual harassment and gender inequality in the Malayalam film industry. This had come after an actress’ assault case involving actor Dileep.

After speaking to several women in the industry on different issues, the panel submitted a 295-page report to the Kerala chief minister in December 2019. As per ANI, the report’s 63 pages were redacted before making it public this week.

The Kerala High Court on Thursday (August 22) asked the state government to submit the entire Hema panel report, including the sections redacted for confidentiality, reported Indian Express.

All-male ‘mafia’

According to the Hema panel report, there exists an influential group of men, dubbed “mafia” by a prominent actor, that wields significant control and calls shots across the industry. This is a lobby of 10 to 15 men, consisting of producers, directors, actors and production controllers, that calls unofficial “bans” on anyone who open up about the issues of the industry. Anyone who displeases this group or falls out of favour can also be banned.

The report mentioned that women are prevented from speaking out as “they would be banned from cinema and subjected to other harassments, since such persons are powerful in cinema and all men in cinema will stand together by them.”

“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 off the industry by the powerful lobby,” the report observes.

The Hema Committee report pointed out how a prominent male actor who called this group of men “mafia” lost work not only in films but also in TV serials. “Even though he is one of the best actors in the industry, he could be kept away, when the 10 to 15 joined hands to ban him from the cinema,” The News Minute (TNM) cited the document as saying.

The Hema panel report says that setting up an Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) may be ineffective as its members could be threatened or coerced by powerful individuals in the Malayalam film industry.

Instead, the panel suggested the government should enact an appropriate statute and establish a Tribunal to address the issues faced by women in cinema.

Reactions to Hema report

The opposition Congress in Kerala blasted the Pinarayi Vijayan-led LDF government after the contents of the report came to light.

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said on Monday, “It is utterly shameful and shocking that the government sat on this report for nearly five years now”.

Congress’ VD Satheesan, the Leader of Opposition in the Kerala Assembly, accused the state government of protecting powerful individuals in the film industry. “Whose interest did the government want to protect by hushing up a chain of atrocities?” he said.

The Kerala government has defended the delay citing the sensitive information in the report.

The Congress-led UDF has demanded a probe into the complaints by women IPS officers.

CM Vijayan has said the government is seriously considering the suggestions made by the panel. Kerala minister Saji Cherian has promised the recommendations of the report would be implemented soon, reported The South First.

Kerala Women’s Commission has called for immediate intervention of the authorities. “Based on the suggestions of the Hema Committee, the Women’s Commission will recommend to the government to take the necessary steps to ensure grievance redressal committees as per the POSH Act in shooting sets,” women’s panel chief P Sathi Devi said, as per PTI.

The Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition and Redressal) Act, 2013 (PoSH) was enforced to prevent sexual abuse of women at workplaces.

The Women in Cinema Collective (WCC), an outfit of women professionals in the industry, hoped the government would study the report and take action. It said in a Facebook post, “We sincerely hope the government will take all necessary steps to study and act upon the recommendations. This is the voice of women, and it must be heard!”

Sarada, a veteran actress and member of the Hema panel, said casting couch has existed for a long time in the film industry but was hardly discussed openly. She said that while actors engaged in consensual relationships in the past, the dynamics have changed over the years and terms like “compromise” and “adjustment” have become increasingly common, reported Onmanorama.

The late veteran actor Thilakan’s son, Shammi, has disclosed that the “well-known actor” referred to in the report, who was banned by the powerful lobby, was his father.

Sonia Thilakan, the daughter of the late veteran actor, hit out at this 15-member group in the industry, accusing it of a hidden agenda and targeting her father like “mafia gangsters”. She said that a leading actor, who claimed to feel guilty for how he treated his father, later misbehaved with her, The South First reported.

“If someone like me, who is part of the industry, has to face such issues, you can imagine the situation of leading heroines and other female actors,” Sonia said.

Bollywood actor Tanushree Dutta, who emerged as the face of the MeToo movement in India, dismissed the Hema panel report as “useless”.

“A safe workplace is a fundamental right for everyone. I have no faith in these committees or the system. It feels like they’re just wasting our time instead of addressing real issues,” she reportedly said.

Lakshmi Manchu, an actress and daughter of leading Telugu star Mohan Babu, said “life is not fair to women”. She said her experience in Mollywood was different as everyone knew her father.

“Stand up for yourself. I’ve been pushed over, but I stood my ground. I might lose a few (things), but I know I’m gaining for the person who’s coming after me,” Manchu told Hindustan Times.

Why the report matters

The Hema panel report resonates beyond Kerala. Sexual harassment within the Indian film industry remains a mostly hushed-up topic. Those who came out with their stories of abuse during the MeToo movement found no justice and their alleged assaulters are already back in business.

While Bollywood celebrities have spoken about their casting couch experiences, this is the first time a government in India formed a panel to study the issues faced by women in cinema.

As the WCC noted, this is the first time there is a report on how gender works in the film industry.

The committee’s report and recommendations hold great significance. Only time will tell what Kerala will do to bring the necessary reforms and whether other state governments will take note.

With inputs from agencies