The Justice Hema Committee Report on the working conditions of women in Malayalam cinema, released to the public on August 19, said that a powerful lobby controls the industry where sexual harassment and abuse is rampant. In response, the Kerala government has said that police cases cannot be filed on the basis of the and the women’s account. 

In this conversation with Dhanya Rajendran, Kerala-based Women in Cinema Collective’s founding member Parvathy Thiruvothu speaks about the report, its findings, and why the women were not willing to file a police complaint. She also discussed why the state government’s suggestion to hold a conclave is unhelpful. 

Parvathy asserted that a “lobby” exists within the Malayalam film industry. “The mafia mentioned in the report is still there. For instance, before I resigned from AMMA, I recall a situation where junior artists and supporting actors were too scared to speak out because of the mafia. This isn’t just a women’s issue; men also fear retribution for speaking up. While I have seen a shift in some people, the change is not fast enough,” she said.

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.