The Malayalam film industry, which is known for its progressive films, also has a dark underbelly. As per findings of the Justice Hema Committee, set up by the Kerala government, “Sexual harassment is the worst evil that women face in the film industry.” 

The report – a redacted version of which was released to the public on August 19 – acknowledges that most women in the industry were reluctant to divulge their traumatic experiences, particularly of sexual harassment, fearing consequences including getting “banned” from the industry and being subjected to “other harassments”. It suggested that sexual harassment is rampant in the industry and its mafia still exists. 

The News Minute’s Dhanya Rajendran and Pooja Prasanna dive into why the committee was formed, the concerns regarding its report, why it’s an incomplete exercise, and the five key takeaways from it. 

Watch.

The formation of the Hema Commission was triggered by the shocking abduction and sexual assault of a top female actor in Kerala in February 2017. The crime was executed by a gang of men who were allegedly hired by superstar Dileep. Read this report to understand how a sexual assault case unmasked the Malayalam film industry.

This report was republished from The News Minute as part of The News Minute-Newslaundry alliance. Read about our partnership here and become a subscriber here.

By the way, it will soon be a year since Hamas’ October 7 attack. Contribute to our new NL Sena project to help us bring an exclusive mini-series that examines the multiple dimensions of the Israel-Gaza war from ground zero.