Hema Committee report reveals exploitation in Malayalam film industry; women told to give sexual favours to get work

The Justice Hema Committee report on the Malayalam film industry has made shocking revelations about the sexual exploitation of women in the workplace.

In many cases, women have to give sexual favours in order to get opportunities in the Malayalam film industry, the report said.

It also revealed that the production controller or whoever gives a role in the cinema first approaches the woman/girl, or even if it's the other way around, is told that she has to make “adjustments” and “compromise”.

The Hema Committee report was released by the Kerala government on Monday.

The Hema Committee was constituted after a Malayalam actress' assault case came to light. The actress was allegedly sexually assaulted in a moving vehicle in 2017. Malayalam actor Dileep is an accused among others in the case and is facing prosecution.

“The sky is full of mysteries; with the twinkling stars and the beautiful moon. But, scientific investigation revealed that stars do not twinkle nor does the moon look beautiful. The study, therefore, cautions: 'Do not trust what you see, even salt looks like sugar'!” the report said.

In the Malayalam film industry, the female workers are asked to be available for sex on demand, the report said.

According to the report, women in cinema are often accompanied by family and close relatives because they don't feel safe staying alone in the accommodation provided to them.

“In most of the hotels where they are staying, the doors are knocked by the men working in cinema who would be mostly under intoxication. Many women have stated that knocking will not be polite or decent but they repeatedly bang at the door, by force. On many occasions, they felt that the door would collapse and men would make an entry into the room by force,” the report added.

Citing an incident where an actress had to act as the wife of a man who earlier sexually assaulted her, the committee report said: “...on the next day, she had to work with the same man as husband and wife, hugging each other. That was terrible. Because of what was done to her during the shooting, her resentment and hatred had reflected on her face. Seventeen retakes had to be taken for just one shot. The director criticised her for the situation.”

Many men and women actors told the panel that they are publicly threatened, defamed, and mentally harassed by publishing various comments and posting vulgar pictures, videos, etc on social media.

Several remarks of sexual colour are made in public against them, and even photos of penis and other pictures are posted on the wall of the female artists, followed by comments that they will be raped etc, to ridicule, threaten, demoralise and humiliate them.