Gender inequality and harassment in Mollywood: Key takeaways from Hema Committee Report
The Kerala government on Monday released the much-anticipated Justice K Hema Committee Report, shedding light on pervasive issues of sexual harassment and gender inequality in the Malayalam film industry.
The committee comprised of retired Kerala High Court judge Justice K Hema (chairperson) and two members - actress T Sarada and retired Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officer KB Valsalakumari.
The report released at 2.30 PM on August 19, after two unsuccessful challenges in Court to prevent its immediate publication, revealed a grim picture.
Sexual Harassment
The major issue women face in the film industry is sexual harassment. Terms like "adjustments" and "compromise" are euphemisms for sexual favors. The report confirmed the prevalence of the casting couch practices.
The committee referred to a a "terrible" incident where an actress was forced to act as the wife of a male actor who had abused her the previous day. The actress was made to undergo 17 takes for just one shot of a hug. "Her resentment and hatred reflected on her face. 17 retakes had to be taken for just one shot. The director criticised her for the situation," Committee chairperson Justice (retired) Hema noted.
If women are seen to be trouble makers (including if they were labelled as "me-too" persons), they risk losing opportunities.
Retaliation and Fear
Both men and women were reluctant to speak out on various issues in the industry due to fear for their lives or of losing opportunities.
One instance of this was noticed when the committee sought inputs from members of a WhatsApp group with dancers. "To our utter surprise, instead of responding to the message, they started leaving the group, one after the other," the committee reported.
Members of the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC) were kept away from film opportunities since they dared to speak out against the AMMA (Association of Malayalam Movie Artists).
One founder member of the WCC maintained that she has not even heard of sexual harassment in the industry. However, Chairperson Hema termed such a stance "far from truth." The committee concluded that this witness was deliberately not speaking up because of her "selfish motive" to not get ousted from the Malayalam film industry.
Human Rights Violations
Women suffer on account of lack of toilets, changing rooms, safe accommodation, etc.
Women reported that they avoid drinking water and hold back urine, which has led to hospitilisations for infections. Women face a tough time when they are on their periods (menstruation).
Some male artists felt that women should just learn to adjust. In this regard, the report said, "Some men admitted that such a situation exists and has to change. But few others, including a very prominent actor, stated that women were working in cinema since the past so many years and they were pushing on without any complaints. Therefore, it is only a question of adjustment and therefore lack of toilet facility need not be taken seriously."
Unauthorized Bans
The report highlighted the unauthorized and illegal ban on cinema artists by powerful groups (a "mafia") within the industry, often as a form of retaliation or control.
Even prominent male actors have been banned in the past for "very silly reasons" or because they unknowingly invited the wrath of powerful persons.
The committee came to know that the Malayalam film industry is under the control or clutches of "certain producers, directors, actors - all male." Those not abiding by their dictates risk having their futures "wiped out," the committee was told.
Imbalanced Power Dynamics
It is common for women to earn less than their male counterparts. Committee member Valsalakumari opined that she was not persuaded by the oft-cited reasons to justify such gender discrimination.
"Movies in which superheroes were absent like 'Take off' and 'How old Are You' ran very well for a long time not because of the market value of the heroes. They ran well because of the talent of the heroines … and other factors like story, merit of the director, technical merit etc," she noted.
Despite this, the central heroine of the movie Take Off was paid less than the two heroes, who had less screen time. Such unfairness is high.
Witnesses also reported that the market value of male heroes are often artificially inflated by fans associations, the retired IAS officer further observed.
Valsalakumari said that the involvement or more women in the making of movies is required to tackle the industry's gender biases. Corrective measures suggested include gender balance in bodies governing film artists, more budgetary support for films on gender justice, earmarking film theatres for screenings of movies made by women, enhancing visibility of women in cinema, particularly by tackling stereotypical and objectified depictions of woman in films, etc.
The power wielded by this group also meant that having bodies like an Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) to tackle sexual harassment complaints in the film industry served little purpose, Chairperson Hema said.
"It is possible that no confidentiality will be maintained in the ICC and allegations of sexual harassment or assault will become talk of the town and in the industry. It will only add up to the torture which the woman has already suffered," she explained.
Instead, she recommended that a separate tribunal headed by retired judges be set up to tackle such (and other) disputes in the film industry. A new law named the Kerala Cine Employers and Employees (Regulation) Act could be introduced, she suggested.
Vague contracts
Lack of proper contracts often lead to problems like unsatisfactory remuneration, poor pay parity and even discomfort during filming.
In one incident, an actress was not informed about the extent of nudity she would have to do for a film and was eventually forced to walk out of the set.
"When shooting started, she was asked to do many things which was contrary to the understanding between the parties. She was asked to do a lip lock scene. A huge portion of her body was insisted upon to be exposed. The actress refused to do it and she walked out of the movie," the committee reported.
Another similar "bitter" experience was narrated by a witness and is recorded in the opinion penned by member Valsalakumari.
"She was informed that there will be intimate scene but the director did not disclose greater details in spite of her repeated requests ... Three months after, the director told her that there will be nudity and lip lock ... that there will be great exposure. She was forced to do a kissing scene and expose the back part. She was not interested in continuing. She left the movie not even claiming the remuneration for the three months she worked."
Workplace Indiscipline
The film industry is plagued by gross indiscipline, including consumption of alcohol and drugs on sets. Committee member Valasakumari has called for a ban on the use of alcohol and drugs from work places in cinema.
Women have reported that they do not feel safe at film locations.
"In most of the hotels where they are staying, the doors are knocked by the men working in cinema who would be mostly under Intoxication ... unless women take somebody from the family when they go for work, they fear that they will not be safe at the workplace," the report said.
On the 'olden days' of cinema
One of the more unique parts of the report can be found in the opinion of committee member and yesteryear actress T Sharada. Her comments include the following.
"Sexual harassment existed even in the good old days of film industry" although it was not as widely reported as it is today.
Relationships between men and women are different now, thanks to the "Western influence" and since men and women mingle more freely now.
"Casting couch" existed in the olden days of cinema as well. "But today women have started speaking about it openly", whereas such talk would have brought embarrassment in earlier days.
"The way many people (women?) in the industry are dressed today is not correct. More than concealing, their style of dressing exposes their body parts (sic)," she added.
Sexual harassment was less in the olden days. "In the olden days, there were no conversations with sexual double meaning in the sets. Similarly, there were no sexual assaults on the sets like touching or squeezing the breasts of actresses, junior artists or technicians. Today it cannot be said that these kinds of harassments do not exist in the film industry," the opinion said.
Women today are more outspoken. "Today the women in the film industry are more educated and hence are more courageous. Hence they speak out such things very openly. But unfortunately because of their outspokenness they are avoided from films. It is not easy to change the situation in the film industry," she concluded.
She added that she does not agree with the concept of equal pay for male and female actors. "Audience does not have the same demand for women as for men. Even public ask initially who the hero is. So I do not agree with the principle of equal remuneration," she said.
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