Malayalam actor Tovino Thomas has openly voiced his reactions pertaining to the revelations made by the Justice Hema Committee about the ongoing events of sexual harassment in his industry.
The Malayalam film industry has felt the transformative effect of the Justice Hema Committee’s revelations – a detailed report that shed light on sexual abuse and discrimination suffered by women in the cinema world. Alarming practices — such as the casting couch, sexual molestation, poor facilities for women, and pay imbalance — were brought to the public eye, causing much concern. Actor Tovino Thomas acknowledged the report and also revealed that he had been approached by the committee for his standpoint.
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Talking to NDTV Minnal Murali actor said, “I also spoke to Hema Commission, they had called me also to understand the situation in the movies I have worked. Now the report has come out and it’s 255 pages I think. It’s not in common man’s language, so not everyone could read it and understand it. Even I couldn’t grasp it completely. But if someone has done something wrong they should get the deserved punishment.”
retired judge, justice K Hema heads the panel joined by seasoned civil servant KB Valsalakumari and celebrated actress Sharada. The formation of this group was inspired by a harrowing episode of sexual assault against an actress within the Malayalam film industry in 2017.
Once the committee was set up, a flood of women broke their silence, divulging their experiences. It’s also worth noting, manifold men within the Malayalam showbiz sphere are under the impression that actresses who consent to portray intimate scenes on screen are bound to express similar gestures in their personal life off-screen.
The report further read, “On analysis of evidence placed before us, we are satisfied that women face sexual harassment even from very well-known people in the industry, who were named before the committee.”
The report pointed out that many film production sites lack basic amenities such as bathrooms and dressing rooms. More so, there’s a tangible lack of safety protocols for women in the industry, often leaving them without adequate accommodation and reliable transportation services. Reports have uncovered instances where job contracts with female staff aren’t accurately recorded, often resulting in them being undercompensated. It’s alarming to note that a considerable number of these women grapple with perilous working environments. In particular, there have been chilling revelations about situations where inebriated people attempted to enter actresses’ rooms. However, most of the victims remained silent, choosing not to report these incidents to the police.
