Shocking! casting couch prevails in Malayalam cinema, says report

Thiruvananthapuram: The Justice Hema Committee report, which discusses the exploitation and violence faced by women in the Malayalam cinema industry, was released on Monday. The report, copies of which were distributed to media, was released hours after the Kerala High Court rejected actor Ranjini's plea against its release.

The report contains shocking information on women being sexually exploited in the Malayalam film industry. According to the report, the system of casting couch prevails in the industry, female artists have to make compromises to get chances, and there are no opportunities for those who do not give in.

The report says that directors and producers force female artists to perform deviant activities, and the perpetrators include many renowned actors. When those who cooperate with these abuses have codes, those who resist and complain are branded as troublemakers.

The report further says that the Malayalam film industry is run by mafia gangs. In the industry, male domination indeed exists, says the report, and adds that women are insecure. They are treated as second class, and they fear to open up since they fear that it would risk their lives.

The report quotes women artists that they were made to re-take hugging scenes in movies up to 17 times.

The government appointed the committee, chaired by retired Justice Hema, to study the issues women face in Malayalam cinema. The committee submitted its report to the government on December 31, 2019.

However, the report, now released to the public, omitted some parts, and now it has 233 pages. The published report has omitted personal information that affects people's privacy. The omitted parts include paragraph 96 on page 49, some parts on pages 81 to 100 and some paragraphs on pages 165 to 196. Also, a supplementary report, including testimonies, has not been released. Earlier, the State Public Information Officer of the Culture Department had informed that the report would be released on Saturday. However, actor Ranjini approached the Kerala High Court, saying that it should be confirmed that the published statements in the report are exactly how the survivors had given to the commission. She pleaded that those who gave the statements must be allowed to read the report before it gets published. However, the court refused to stop the release.