The Justice Hema Committee Report has opened a pandora’s box for not just the Malayalam Film industry, it has also stirred a demand to undertake similar initiatives for cinema industries in other states including Telugu Film Industry. The shocking findings of the report which was released after a long gap of five years have led to a cascading effect and great ramifications for the Cinema industry. Here is a detailed explainer of the origin, key findings, and the aftermath of Justice Hema Committee’s Report on sexual abuse, the casting couch, the pay gap, and other issues in the Cinema Industry.
Origin of the Hema Committee Report and the delay in its publication
The Kerala government established the Justice Hema Committee in February 2017 after a heinous case of sexual assault of an actress came to light. Notably, a prominent Malayalam actress was kidnapped, sexually assaulted, and filmed in a moving car. The Investigations revealed that actor Dileep had allegedly orchestrated the attack to “teach her a lesson.”
After the survivor identified herself on social media, the industry witnessed a major upheaval which led to the formation of the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC). The WCC filed a petition to investigate the challenges faced by women in the Malayalam film industry following the actress’ sexual assault case. Based on their petition, the Kerala government set up a three-member committee. This was headed by retired Justice K. Hema and the committee was named after its head. It also comprised former actor Sharada, and retired IAS officer K.B. Valsala Kumari. It submitted its report to the government on 31st December 2019.
However, the findings of the report were made public on Monday (19th August 2024), five years after it was submitted to the Kerala government as it was claimed that it had a lot of sensitive information which needed to be redacted before releasing it to the public. They believed that publishing the full report would harm the industry.
It is pertinent to note that it was published after several rounds of legal battles in the High Court. Five Right To Information activists had approached the Kerala State Information Commission (KSIC) for more details on the report. Subsequently, the KSIC decided on 6th July, this year that a controlled report could be released to the petitioners. The original report had 295 pages but 63 pages were redacted before its release under the Right to Information Act (RTI), as they expected widespread repercussions. It was initially scheduled to be released on 24th July, then on 14th August.
But the Kerala High Court held its release while hearing a plea moved by a Malayalam film producer Saji Parayil, who argued that its publication would violate the right to privacy of individuals (including himself), and possibly expose them to retaliation and harassment. But the High Court dismissed the plea on 13th August and directed the government to publicize the report within a week.
The 63 pages that were redacted had portions that could infringe on the privacy of the individuals mentioned in it, as directed by the State Information Commission (SIC). However, the state government is facing widespread allegations that it is trying to protect the accused and excluded more information than what was recommended.
Major findings of Hema Committee Report
The Justice Hema Committee Report has revealed horrid tales of sexual abuse, illegal bans, discrimination, drug and alcohol abuse, wage disparity, and inhuman working conditions, especially for women. According to the report, the Cinema industry is male-dominated and has become an exclusive Boys’ Club.
It has identified at least 17 forms of exploitation experienced by women working in 30 different categories within the industry. According to reports, Several Malayalam female actors and junior artists have accused director Baburaj, actor Siddique, Mukesh, Jayasurya, Maniyanpilla Raju, Edavela Babu, Thulasidas, and CPI-M MLA Vichu Mukesh of sexual harassment, and misconduct.
The report emphasised that women were being asked to make certain “adjustments” and “compromises” – euphemisms for sexual favours – to secure or retain opportunities. It added, that these two words are very familiar among women working in Malayalam cinema, who “are asked to make themselves available for sex on demand”.
According to the findings of the report, the Malayalam film industry is under the control of a powerful lobby of male producers, directors, and actors who “dominate other persons working in cinema.”
It added that “these influential figures could even coerce and threaten the persons who work in ICC to deal with the complaint, in the manner they demand.” The report describes the situation in cinema as “very shocking.”
It also revealed grave concerns regarding the effectiveness of the Internal Complaints Committees (ICC) within the Malayalam film industry stating that the formation of ICCs is not recommended due to several reasons. The most startling discovery was that women who experience sexual harassment or assault frequently choose not to speak up for fear of being branded as “troublemakers” or being shunned by the business.
The government-appointed expert group discussed several embarrassing aspects, including unwanted physical advances made to women in the Malayalam film industry before they even started working and code names for women who would compromise. Testimonies from other women in the industry, who detailed their terrifying experiences, are included in the report. In one incident highlighted in the report, an actress was made to rehearse a scene in which she was hugged by an actor who had previously molested her. The filmmakers took 17 takes to finalize the shot.
These testimonials highlight the widespread culture of insensitivity and exploitation that women in the field face on a daily basis. The study found that the Malayalam film industry has a deeply embedded patriarchal mentality that feeds the myth that women only pursue careers in the business to gain notoriety and fortune, and as a result, they will “surrender” to anything.
Additionally, women actors are denied basic facilities like access to toilets and safe changing rooms even on film sets. They often have to find secluded spots to change or use the bathroom during outdoor shoots, with no access to water or basic facilities, the report added.
It is pertinent to note the report also highlighted challenges faced by their male counterparts in the film industry. According to the report, several well-known male artists have been subjected to “unauthorised” bans from working for extended periods, often for “very silly reasons.”
According to the report, these bans are usually a result of artists unknowingly provoking powerful figures within the industry’s influential lobby. Consequently, many men are reluctant or afraid to speak out against the industry’s practices, fearing that any information they provide could jeopardise their future opportunities in cinema.
Repercussions
A Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been formed to conduct a preliminary inquiry into allegations of sexual harassment against a few actors in Malayalam cinema and it consists of senior women police officers. The Kerala High Court has taken cognizance and directed the state government to submit the full report in a sealed envelope.
Around 17 cases have also been filed after the release of the Hema Committee report. These cases have been registered against several big names in the industry, including actor Jayasurya and actor and politician Mukesh.
Furthermore, the Association of Malayalam Movies Artistes (AMMA) was dissolved on 27th August and its president popular actor Mohanlal, and the other 17 members of the executive committee including Siddique and Edavela Babu also resigned leading to the dissolution of the cinema body. Actor Siddique resigned as General Secretary of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists after he was hit by sexual assault allegations. He resigned over allegations of sexual assault levelled against him by a female actor.
Major reactions
The Women in Cinema Collective (WCC) which initially petitioned for such a Committee, released an official statement on the very day when the findings of the report were made public. In their statement, they said, “Today, we stand vindicated”.
An organisation representing film technicians – Film Employees Federation of Kerala (FEFKA) has demanded that the names of the accused mentioned in the Hema Committee report should be made public.
While speaking with Matrubhumi, the director and general secretary of the FEFKA, B Unnikrishnan denied the existence of ‘power groups’ in the Malayalam film industry but admitted that the casting couch exists.
Unnikrishnan said that it was an ‘undeniable fact’ that some production houses had ‘strong alliances’ with certain directors, writers, and actors to make big films. Unnikrishnan also said that denying the casting couch exists in Mollywood would be ‘denying reality’.
The publication of the Justice K Hema Committee report on sexual misconduct and abuse in the Malayalam film industry has opened a can of worms. Several actresses have come forward with disturbing accounts of the mistreatment they faced at the hands of their various male counterparts in the Kerala film industry. The actresses also came down heavily on their male counterparts for not speaking up on the findings of the Hema Committee report.
Recently, popular South Indian actress Radhika Sarathkumar made startling allegations. In a recent interview, she said that the ordeals of actresses aren’t limited only to Malayalam cinema but also to the Tamil and Telugu industries. Recounting her own experience, she said that hidden cameras were secretly installed inside the vanity vans on the shooting set of a Malayalam film to record videos of actresses, specifically while they were changing clothes. She asserted that she had personally witnessed male actors watching such objectionable videos on their mobile phones.
Meanwhile, after maintaining silence for several days, senior actors Mohanlal and Mammootty have finally reacted to the findings in the Hema Committee report.
On Saturday, Mohanlal held a press conference over this issue. While he maintained that the culprits must be punished, he said, “Please don’t kill the Malayalam film industry”. He said that he had not ‘run away’ anywhere.
After him, another popular star Mammootty also claimed that he stayed mum so far because he wanted AMMA to speak about it first.
While the findings of the report have been widely amplified and hailed by the actresses of the Malayalam and other film industries, their male counterparts from the Malayalam Industry have either been accused of giving cold responses or maintaining silence. But ever since, the report exposed the dark underbelly of the film industry in Kerala, actors, and actresses from other industries have also demanded similar comprehensive initiatives in their regional cinema industries.
Nonetheless, the National Commission for Women (NCW) has asked the Kerala government to submit the full Hema Committee report in a week. Additionally, the Kerala High Court has taken cognizance and directed the state government to submit the full report in a sealed envelope.
