'I Walked Out Of The Movie'

'The media is portraying the Malayalam film industry as the worst place, but that's not true.'

Chickens have seemingly come home to roost for molesters with more women coming forward to recount their ordeal, days after the landmark Hema Committee report which highlighted the atrocities against women in the Malayalam film industry was made public.

On Sunday, veteran actor Siddique resigned as the general secretary of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes (AMMA) after a prominent actor alleged that he raped her at a young age.

Later in the day, Director Ranjith resigned from his post as the chairman of the Kerala Chalachitra Academy after Bengali actor Sreelekha Mitra alleged he misbehaved with her in 2009.

While Mitra declined to comment, multiple women film personalities that Business Standard spoke to indicated that the report, the first of its kind in India, will lead to a cleansing of the industry. Many other women film workers revealed the assaults they have endured.

The findings of the three-member panel -- consisting of former high court judge Justice Hema, veteran actor Sharada and retired civil service officer K B Valsala Kumari -- have raised several eyebrows.

The 290-page report noted that the industry is dominated by a mafia of powerful men and that sexual harassment of women is rampant.

The report also notes that the working conditions for women in the industry are terrible with no proper toilets or changing rooms for junior artistes.

It also highlights a significant wage disparity between men and women doing the same work, and no accommodation or transport facilities.

The panel was formed after the sexual assault on a leading actress in February 2017.

When contacted by Business Standard, one of the film personalities revealed that a leading director asked her for adjustments (a term used for sexual favours) when she was 16 years old.

"I walked out of that movie. He threatened me that I would not be in the film industry. Many years later, in 2013, the same director approached me for work, and my answer was again a firm no. Women should be powerful too," she said.

Actor, film-maker, and one of the founding members of the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC), Revathy, expressed hope that the report would revolutionise Indian cinema.

The WCC is widely appreciated for changing the perspective of Malayalam cinema towards women after the actress's assault case. Revathy noted that the wage difference between female and male makeup artists doing the same work was 50 per cent.

"This is a workplace, and we are an internationally famous industry. But we need a safe workplace. That's why this report is important. This is not to accuse or blame someone, but to provide a platform for women to open up," Revathy told Business Standard.

Revathy said the way women are treated should change.

"People are asked to leave sets after working for three to four days. It is also about sensitising men and empowering women. We need to have a proper internal complaints committee," she said.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has vowed that the assaulters, no matter how powerful, will be brought to book.

On Thursday, a public interest petition was filed in the Kerala high court, seeking criminal proceedings against those accused in the report. The high court has asked the government to submit the full version of the report.

"I have been jobless for the last five years for supporting the victim in the actress assault case. The entire film industry and his association were with him. Only the WCC and people like me stood by the victim in that rape case. I thought someone would reveal names in the public through the Hema Committee report, at least someone from the WCC," veteran dubbing artist Bhagyalakshmi told Business Standard.

"Interestingly, the media is portraying the Malayalam film industry as the worst place, but that's not true. The industry is not anti-woman," she added.

Another actor said: "Do not trust what you see; even salt looks like sugar!"

Meanwhile, the Kerala government has formed a seven-member special team to probe the atrocities faced by women in the film industry. The decision was taken after a high-level meeting of senior police officials was called by the chief minister.

The CM's office said the team will be headed by IG G Sparjan Kumar and will include four senior women IPS officers of the state.

With agency inputs