The Justice Hema Committee, instituted after a sensational turning point in 2017 when a popular actress was sexually attacked by a well-known actor and his associates in the Malayalam film industry, submitted its report to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan. The committee had former High Court judge Justice Hema as its chair and senior actress Sharada and K.B. Valsalakumari as members.
But the report was not made public, fearing that the contents might be a tad too sensitive. It is now coming to light following a number of RTI applications and court orders. In its recommendations, the Hema report exposed the dark underbelly of the Malayalam film industry.
Shocking Revelations of Hema Report
The Hema Report exposes the umpteen case of sexual harassment of actresses in the Malayalam film industry. Many of the actresses came up front with their nightmarish experiences and how male actors and members of the outdoor shoot unit behave indecently during an outdoor shoot. According to the report, they would knock on actresses’ hotel room doors late at night, usually in an inebriated state and indulge in obscene behavior. Some said they take their families with them when there are outdoor shoots to avoid such situations.
The Malayalam film industry is controlled by a small group of powerful men among them being star actors, producers and distributors, says the report. This group works like a powerhouse where they dictate the opportunities and career graphs of actresses. It is mentioned in the report that most of the time, the actresses are forced to keep good relations with such influential persons for getting a chance to act in films and for better remunerations. Many actresses have been sexually harassed and humiliated in the industry; some men haggle advance payments, and “adjustments” are subtly demanded. Those who don’t give in are threatened that no opportunity would ever come their way in the future.
Calls for Similar Committees Across Indian Film Industries
The Hema Report has brought a lot of controversies and concerns to the limelight. Exposes sexual harassment and exploitation that a woman goes through in the Malayalam film industry, thus placing a demand for constituting such committees in all film industries in India to study and bring to light the problems of women in cinema. The report, therefore, is an eye-opener with respect to the dire need for systemic changes that better protect and empower women in the film industry.
