Actress Sandra Thomas Questions Malayalam Film Unions’ Silence On Hema Committee Report

The Malayalam film industry, which is often praised for being progressive, have recently been exposed for sexually exploiting women for long by the Justice Hema Committee report. The 233-page report by a three-member committee, headed by retired justice K Hema, provides a damning indictment of the discrimination and exploitation faced by women in the Malayalam cinema. Now, actress Sandra Thomas has also put up a Facebook post on this topic. Sandra has put up the post in Malayalam. She questioned why film unions are silent on the Justice Hema Committee report. According to her, this report is being discussed all over Kerala. Sandra Thomas wrote that the film unions should clarify their position on this report. She wrote that this implies all unions are suspected of being dominated by the 15-member power group that the committee reports.

Sandra Thomas added that no one requires a week to study the findings of the report. According to her, these findings were based on the incidents that happened years ago. Sandra wrote that if the industry doesn’t clarify their stand on these issues, the public will accuse them only. The 38-year-old actress wrote that based on the report, what remedial measures are being taken up by the unions should be clarified to the public.

Key Takeaway From the Report

The Justice Hema Committee Report identified at least 17 forms of exploitation experienced by women working in 30 different categories within the industry. These comprise the sexual demands made to women seeking entry into the industry, sexual harassment, and various forms of abuse and assault.

1. The report highlights the persistence of practices like the casting couch. In this practice, women are often pressured into offering sexual favours to secure roles or avoid being blacklisted.

2• The committee found that women face discrimination in terms of remuneration and basic workplace safeguards such as the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC), which does not exist in practice. Women fear retaliation and are often coerced into not filing complaints.

3. The report mentions that the Malayalam film industry is under the control of certain producers, directors and actors – all male – and dominates other persons working in cinema.