Govt not taking action even after two years; Commission wants tribunal to stop exploitation of women in cinema

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: It has been two years since the Hema Commission, appointed by the state government to study the various issues faced by women in the film industry, submitted its report to the government. In its report, the commission had stated that women were widely exploited in the film industry. The commission, which recommended setting up a special tribunal to deal with the complaints, added that a law should be enacted in this regard. However, the government has not yet taken any action.

The report was submitted on December 31, 2019. The commission was set up following a complaint by the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC) in 2017 after the actress was assaulted. It was the first time in the country a committee was appointed to study the issues of women in cinema. Though the Committee was directed to submit the report within 6 months, it took two years to submit the comprehensive report. Apart from Justice Hema, the commission also includes actress Sharda and former IAS officer KB Vatsalakumari.

The government has woken up to the recent spate of WCC activists protesting against the lack of action. A committee comprising the Secretary of the Film Academy and the Under-Secretaries of the Cultural and Legal Departments has been appointed to examine the recommendations. At the same time, some have criticised the move assigning lower-level officials to look into such an important issue.

The Hema Commission also recommended that the Prevention of Sexual Exploitation of Women and Children (POSH) Act be effectively enforced. The government has not released key recommendations in the report. Government sources said that the report was not released as the government feared that the explosive revelations mentioned in the report would shake up the film industry.

The commission had collected statements from actress Parvathy Thiruvoth, director Anjali Menon and actor Dileep, who is accused in the case of assaulting the actress. Many have told the Commission that they were exploited in various ways to get a chance in films. Many presented audio clips and messages that supported these claims. Several shooting areas do not have good toilets or changing facilities. Based on this, the Commission came to the conclusion that women face gender and occupational discrimination and exploitation in the film industry.