The South Indian film industry recently was rocked by serious charges of sexual harassment and assault against top actors of Malayalam film industry.
The Hema Committee report, which was released after being submitted five years ago to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, has laid bare the disturbing realities of the Malayalam film industry.
In February 2017, a well-known Malayalam actor, who had also worked in Tamil and Kannada films, was allegedly assaulted in a moving car. She was kidnapped by five men, filmed during the assault, and later released. The actor filed a police complaint, sparking an investigation that revealed actor Dileep’s alleged involvement in conspiring against her.
In response to the growing outcry, the Kerala government set up the Hema Committee in November 2017, comprising retired High Court Justice K Hema, former actor Sharada and retired IAS officer K B Valsala Kumari. The committee was formed after the Kerala-based Women in Cinema Collective's (WCC) petition to study issues of sexual harassment and gender inequality in Malayalam film industry.
The committee invited women from the industry to share their experiences, promising confidentiality. Over 80 women came forward, sharing harrowing testimonies about the hostile work environment.
The report has revealed that the women working in the Malayalam film industry were faced with lack of basic amenities such as changing rooms and toilets for women, widespread sexual harassment and exploitation. The existence of a powerful ‘mafia’ or lobby of directors, producers, and technicians was also revealed, with accusations that this lobby controlled the careers of women in the industry, demanding sexual favours in return for work.
This is not the first time allegations of sexual harassment have surfaced in the entertainment sector. When the hashtag #MeToo went viral in the US in 2017, it reached India, then gained momentum in 2018 and soon many Bollywood actresses were accusing many bigwigs of the film industry of sexual harassment.
Veteran Bollywood actor Nana Patekar has acted in films like ‘Krantiveer’, ‘Tiranga’, ‘Welcome’, ‘Kaala’, ‘Ab Tak Chappan’, ‘Rajneeti’ and ‘Natasamrat’. On December 25, 2018, Miss India Universe actress Tanushree Dutta in an interview accused him of sexually harassing her during the shooting of a song from the 2008 film ‘Horn OK Please’. However, Nana dismissed Tanushree’s allegations as false. In fact, she still continues to accuse Patekar of sexual harassment.
Same is the case with veteran actor Alok Nath, famous for his cult characters in Bollywood films, who has acted in films like ‘Hum Aapke Hai Kaun’, ‘Hum Saath-Saath Hai’, ‘Jeet’ and ‘Gandhi’. Writer and producer Vinta Nanda, actress Sandhya Mridul, actress Deepika Amin have accused Nath of sexual harassment. On these allegations, he said that this is an attempt to tarnish his image.
Director and scriptwriter Sajid Khan, brother of director and choreographer Farah Khan, who directed films like ‘Hey Baby’, ‘Housefull’ franchise and ‘Humshakals’, has also faced such serious allegations. Three women have so far accused Sajid of sexual harassment, including journalist Karishma Upadhyay, actress Saloni Chopra and actress Rachel White. However, Sajid denied these allegations and called them false.
Sexual harassment is a universal phenomenon, because fundamentally it is about the misuse of power and exploiting the vulnerability of the weak.
Hundreds of youngsters are attracted by the glamour, fame and money which are associated with the film industry. Many of them, especially, young girls, be it in the modelling arena, films or television, enter the glamour world without the approval of their parents. So, in order to prove their worth, they get trapped in the heady mix of ambition and insecurity, which is then brazenly exploited by the powers-that-be in the entertainment industry.
This sector is mostly unorganised and hence the rules of the corporate sector are not really applied in the entertainment sector. But considering that a large number of professional film studios have emerged in film production, it is important that they follow the Vishaka Guidelines, which are a set of guidelines established by the Supreme Court of India in 1997 to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace.
These guidelines were created in response to a series of sexual harassment cases and campaigns by women’s groups. The respective State governments should take the cue from the Kerala government and start cleaning up the muck in the entertainment sector by setting up similar inquiry panels like the Hema Committee, probe the allegations of sexual harassment and initiate legal action against those named.