Mumbai/New Delhi/Thiruvananthapuram. After the release of the Justice Hema Committee report, actress Tanushree Dutta said that as long as those in power continue to protect the criminals, no movement or report will bring about change. Dutta had accused actor Nana Patekar of sexual harassment in 2018, which was called India’s ‘Me Too Movement’. She said that she is still waiting for justice. However, Patekar has denied the allegations. The actress expressed solidarity with the women who came forward in support of the detailed report of the Justice Hema Committee.
Dutta said in an interview to PTI-Bhasha, “It seems that this is the theme of Me Too accused, like they present a decent image in front of the society and (when) their image is shattered, their ego cannot tolerate it. I am very sad for the victims of Kerala. These reports will not achieve anything because attacks and exploitation of women are still going on.”
He said, “In this country it does not matter who you are – whether you are Miss India, an actress, an educated person or a successful person. As long as the people in power try to save these criminals, no movement, no one can do anything on this issue.”
He said, “There is a committee report, there is the Vishakha Committee, and there are many such reports and committees are being formed, but how will you follow the system when the law and order system is so corrupt and illegally earned money is used to bribe it?”
Artists call for change after report on women in Malayalam film industry
The exploitation of women in cinema is not a commonly discussed issue, but a report on Malayalam cinema has given rise to a much-needed discussion. Those in the entertainment industry say they are hoping for a change, but it doesn’t seem to be happening in the near future.
The Justice Hema Committee report details the power nexus in the Malayalam cinema industry and highlights the various levels of exploitation faced by women. This is possibly the first such report for any film industry in India.
The committee was formed by the Kerala government to study issues of sexual harassment and gender inequality after the case involving actor Dileep for harassing an actress in 2017. The 233-page report of this committee was released this week.
The report, titled ‘History of the Malayalam film industry’, was pending for five years. The report has surprised many. Many key stakeholders, including the Hindi film industry, have been reluctant to speak on the issue, but have admitted that it highlights dangerous conditions with regard to women.
Actor and casting director Abhishek Banerjee told PTI, “It is very scary to hear what happened in the Malayalam industry. It is completely unacceptable. I appeal to all female artists that nothing is more important than safety and respect.” Banerjee, who has worked in ‘Stree-2’ and ‘Paatal Lok’, said that when he started, he often heard stories about ‘casting couch’. He said that this is the reason why his company has a rule that artists, especially women, are auditioned only in the office and not in a coffee shop or hotel.
The Justice Hema Committee report has been made public amid public outrage over the rape and murder of a female doctor at Kolkata’s RG Kar Hospital. Distressed by the brutal incident in her hometown, Bengali actress Ditipriya Roy told PTI-Bhasha that abuse and violence against women should stop everywhere. The Kerala government had constituted the Justice Hema Committee after efforts by the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC).
According to filmmaker Anjali Menon, a prominent director and screenwriter in Malayalam cinema and a founding member of the WCC, the report is the first step towards eliminating the adverse power structures within the entertainment industry. “This provides an opportunity to fix things and move towards a more equal progressive space,” Menon said. She said this was possible because the government listened to the voices of women.
She said, “I am sure similar things happen in other industries as well, but they are not talked about. In Kerala, we have set an example by forming a women’s group as well as the government’s action in this regard…” The ‘Me Too’ movement started in India in 2018 after Bollywood actress Tanushree Dutta accused actor Nana Patekar. The actress dismissed the report as another useless exercise. She said that she is still fighting the case.
Dutta said, “I express my deepest condolences to the victim from Kerala… These reports will not achieve anything because women are still being attacked and exploited. In this country it does not matter who you are… whether it is Miss India, or an actress, or an educated or skilled person, it does not matter.” A day after the committee’s report was made public, Sonia Thilakan, daughter of famous Malayalam actor Thilakan, narrated her ordeal of sexual harassment.
Addressing a press conference on Tuesday, she referred to a “power group” within the industry that has been controlling the Malayalam film industry and AMMA (Malayalam Movie Artists Association) for a long time. She said her late father was expelled from AMMA for being outspoken. Sonia said a leading actor had approached her on the pretext of resolving a dispute between her father and AMMA, but the messages he sent made his intentions clear.
When asked to reveal the identity of the actor, Sonia said she would reveal it later. The actress said, “I have made this disclosure now in solidarity with the women who had given statements before the Hema Committee.” Actress-filmmaker and WCC founding member Revathi described the release of the report as a “historic moment”. She wrote on Instagram, “Our work now truly begins… to read, understand and work towards implementing its recommendations. As a member of the WCC, I am grateful to all those who understand the true meaning of this report. We hope that we will continue to strive for the safety and betterment of the industry that has given us all an identity in society.” Kannada actor Rishab Shetty said that he has not read the report due to being busy shooting for his next film, but he is in favor of the safety of women in the film industry.
Shetty’s film ‘Kantara’ won two National Film Awards last week. Shetty told ‘PTI-Bhasha’, “I have been working in the industry for the last 20 years and those who have worked with me, we make sure that they feel safe. But women face harassment and other issues in all fields, be it film, media or IT.” The actor said, “We are always conscious that the women working on our sets feel safe and if they face any issue, they can speak openly.” Malayalam actor Tovino Thomas said that the Justice Hema Committee report will help women come forward to speak their mind, like the ‘Me Too’ movement.