Producer Sandra Thomas criticizes Minister Saji Cherian’s remarks on Hema Committee report

Film producer Sandra Thomas has taken aim at Kerala’s Minister for Culture, Saji Cherian, accusing him of belittling the complaints made to the Hema Committee. In a sharp social media post, Sandra said the minister’s suggestion that some grievances were filed “under pressure” amounted to an insult to survivors who came forward.

Sandra alleged that Cherian’s comments mirrored the influence of powerful figures in the Malayalam film industry. Writing on Facebook, she said the minister’s words risked undermining the courage of women who reported harassment and misconduct.

“The statement given by the Culture Minister to a private channel today regarding the Hema Committee is in accordance with the pressure of the power group in the cinema sector. His statement that the women who were made victims complained due to pressure is an insult to the victims. Victims are coming forward with complaints seeing the crisis and isolation that they are going to face in the future. Thus, such statements that diminish the seriousness of the complaints of women who complain should not be made by a minister.” Sandra said

Sandra further stressed that “Women who have been victimized are making a sacrifice by complaining. In our neighboring state Tamil Nadu, Tamil Nadu, when a singer filed a sexual harassment complaint against a songwriter, the singer herself claims that the singer was isolated for almost seven years. As a woman in the sector, I can assure you that there are more horrible isolations than that in Malayalam cinema.”

She also urged the minister that, “When criticism comes against the statement of the Culture Minister, we also request you not to make fun of us by giving so called replies like ‘I have 3 daughters, a wife and a mother’”

The Hema Committee, set up to investigate allegations of sexual harassment and gender-based discrimination in Kerala’s film industry, has been at the centre of political and industry debate since its findings were made public.