Popular actress changes stance, becomes sole WCC member to claim women are safe

Thiruvananthapuram: The Hema Committee has praised the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC) for pushing the government to address issues within the film industry. Since its formation in 2017, the WCC has been instrumental in encouraging women in cinema to share their experiences and bringing complaints to light. The organisation played a key role in supporting women who had faced sexual harassment. However, members of the group who opposed patriarchy in cinema were denied opportunities.

The Hema Committee Report mentions an actress who initially led the WCC but later changed her stance after gaining more opportunities in the film industry. The committee’s findings suggest that this shift was driven by personal interests. The actress claimed that women are safe in the industry and, despite repeated inquiries, stated she was unaware of any information on sexual violence. According to the report, she is the only WCC member to assert that there are no issues for women in cinema.

“The only member of WCC who is getting several offers in cinema is the founder member of WCC about whom I have already discussed above. She is the only one woman who stated repeatedly that there is no problem for women in cinema and that she had not even heard about any sexual harassment on any woman in ciema etc., which is far from truth. In  this Context, if her evidence is analysed, we are persuaded to believe that she is deliberately not speaking against men or the industry only because of her selfish motive not to go at ousted from the Malayalam film industry. No value can be attached to evidence of such an actress,” says the report.

The report, released on Monday, sheds light on the widespread and persistent sexual harassment faced by women in the Malayalam cinema industry, with many alleging they were subjected to unwanted advances even before commencing work. The report highlighted the widespread nature of the issue, sparking concerns about the safety and well-being of women in the industry.