#MeToo Storm! Hema Committee Report: Mollywood’s progressive cinema Vs regressive mentality | Not Just Bollywood

The Hema Committee report very clearly says that sexual harassment is the worst evil plaguing the industry. Mohanlal has resigned as the president of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists. The actor announced his resignation  on Tuesday afternoon . He was the president of the association and had a 17-member executive committee. The statement read, “AMMA has decided to disperse the executive committee on moral grounds in the light of allegations made by some actors against some of the committee members. A new committee will be formed after an election within two months,”

Mollywood is known for its progressive cinema, but sadly Malayalam movie business stinks. Sexual harassment is rampant in Mollywood. With an extremely myogenetic setup, directors, producers, and actors are considered to be all powerful. And not just that they ask for sexual favours in exchange of roles. Mollywood has been normalising this for long.  But the question is will this fresh # MeToo movement be able to bring about any change in the mentality of the men in the entertainment industry who are in a position of power? Or is it going to be a movement that was hushed up in Bollywood?

#MeToo movement in Bollywood

Some years back we had the #MeToo movement in Bollywood where many big names were called out. Tanushree Dutta was the first one to call out Nana Patekar. But recently, Nana Patekar has once again denied the allegations that he behaved inappropriately with Tanushree Dutta in 2008 during a shoot.

According to reports published in Indian Express, Nana said, “I knew that it was all a lie. That’s why I didn’t get angry. When everything was a lie, why should I be angry? And all those things are old. They have happened. What can we talk about? Everyone knew the truth. What could I say at that time when nothing like this happened? Suddenly, someone says that you did this, you did that. What would I have answered to all these things? Should I have said that I didn’t do this? I know the truth that I didn’t do anything.”

Even filmmaker Subhash Ghai was accused of raping a woman after spiking her drink several years ago. According to an old NDTV report, the survivor also alleged that Ghai forcibly tried to kiss her and touch her inappropriately and then one day, he spiked her drink and drove her to a hotel (where she a claims a “suite was always reserved for him”), where he allegedly raped her. In her account, the survivor said that she was “in and out of consciousness”; however, she remembers asking Ghai to drop her home.

#MeToo storm in Mollywood

Hema Committee report sheds light on rampant sexual harassment and gender inequality in the Malayalam film industry. Actress   Parvathy Thiruvothu, who has been vocal about her thoughts and often speaks about gender equality in cinema, expressed her mixed feelings about the release of the report. “I am not okay with people saying, ‘The Malayalam industry is so rotten inside.’ No, we are good inside, which is why we are fixing it. The places where you don’t hear anything about, that’s where we should be worried,” Parvathy said while talking to NDTV.

Actress and producer Rima Kallingal is the founder of Women in Cinema Collective. In fact, she told on record that she has done that, putting her entire career at risk. Action needs to be taken on the basis of what the committee report already says.

What does the Hema Committee report say?

The Hema Committee report had indeed paved the way for a fresh #MeToo movement. According to a Business Standard story, the report highlights that the film industry in Kerala is dominated by a small, powerful group of male actors, producers, and directors who wield enormous influence, making open demands for sexual favours from women. Those who refuse often face severe professional repercussions, effectively ending their careers before they can even begin. Though the report was delayed for five long years, the fallout has made many actresses call out big powerful names from the industry like Jayasurya and Dileep. This report detailed harassments in the Mulayam film industry.

 What does the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC) say?

The Women in Cinema Collective (WCC), an organisation formed by industry insiders to advocate for women’s rights, told the committee that women are often silenced to protect the prestige of the film industry. The panel’s investigation gathered substantial evidence, including video and audio clips and WhatsApp messages, supporting these claims.

(With added inputs from agencies)

Lachmi Deb Roy is the entertainment editor of Firtspost, Network18. She reviews films and series with a gender lens. Her interviews are called 'Not Just Bollywood' because she takes huge interest in world cinema. OTT over theatrical releases is her preference unless and until its a King Khan film. She takes interest in fashion, food and art reviews too. see more