Kerala's MeToo: Female stars rally behind Justice Hema committee report

Insiders tell The National how 'decades of patriarchal conditioning' is changing after sexual abuse claims rock industry

Indian National Congress party workers wear masks of Kerala film stars during a protest against the government's action over alleged sexual abuse within the industry. AFP

Three weeks after the release of a report alleging widespread abuse of power by men in the Kerala film industry, many of the women who spoke out are being targeted by online trolls.

Last month, the Justice Hema committee report alleged years of widespread sexual harassment of women, including demands for "sex for roles", and gender discrimination in the South Indian state, which makes films in Malayalam. Compiled over three years, the report's release led to more women coming forward about their experiences as well as the resignation of leaders from the Association of Malayalam Movie Actors (better known as AMMA).

Leading the charge is the Women in Cinema Collective (more commonly known as WCC), which was set up in 2017 to protect the welfare of women in the male-dominated Malayalam film industry. The WCC was formed following the brutal kidnapping and sexual assault of a leading actress. South Indian megastar Dileep, who is currently on bail, is on trial accused of plotting the abduction and sexual attack.

It was the WCC that successfully petitioned the Chief Minister of Kerala, Pinarayi Vijayan, in May 2017 to act, which led to the formation of the Hema committee, led by retired judge Justice K Hema.

In an old video that has recently resurfaced, actress Rima Kallingal, a founding member of the WCC, is accused of hosting drug-fuelled parties by a Tamil singer. Kallingal, known for films such as 2012's 22 Female Kottayam, dismissed the allegations on social media and said she is taking legal action against the singer. “To all who believe in our cause, let’s continue to march ahead together,” she posted. Kallingal also told The National that she was working alongside the WCC in her case.

"Fake accounts on social media are being created en masse," the WCC said in a statement last week. "Character assassination is a tactic that the patriarchal society has always used to mentally break down women who speak out. We will continue to move forward, confronting this legally."

Booker Prize-winning author and activist Arundhati Roy and human rights lawyer Vrinda Grover have also written to Vijayan to take a “360-degree approach” to fulfil the recommendations of the committee.

Besides allegations of rampant sexual abuse, the report also detailed an alleged power system in the film industry. An all-boys club of about 10-15 control the industry and have the power to make or break one’s movie career, the report claims. Even lightning technicians feared losing jobs if they didn’t stand up when one of the men from the power group came on set, it said.

Allegations of an "inhumane working environment" include a lack of basic facilities such as toilets and changing rooms for women. "Male superstars” received inflated pay cheques, the report alleged, with no clear work contracts for the rest.

Speaking to The National, filmmaker Indu VS, best known for the acclaimed 2022 film 19(1)(a), said what pained her most during the past few weeks is seeing several victims, who had previously complained against their alleged abusers, still waiting for justice.

“Watching them come forward, again, to revisit their abuse and trauma, was emotionally haunting," she said. “To imagine that the system had failed them again is heartbreaking.”

While AMMA's top leaders have collectively stepped down on “moral grounds”, leading actors in the Malayalam film industry including Mohanlal, who was president of the organisation, and Mammotty, have denied the existence of a “power group” or “mafia” alleged in the Hema report.

"We request you not to put all the focus on AMMA. Investigation is going on. Please don't destroy the industry," Mohanlal said at an event following his resignation.

At a separate press conference, actress Jomol refuted some of the allegations in the Hema report, saying: “No one knocked on my door.” She added "No one has ever spoken bad to me. I have been acting in film for a long time. No such experience to date. I haven’t had any ill-treatment from the industry."

Actress Santhy Balachandran said that while some actresses have been fortunate to not experience sexual harassment, the larger issue with the “it hasn’t happened to me” argument is that it feeds into the narrative that preventing sexual assault is a matter of individual responsibility. This absolves the system of any complicity by pointing towards the survivor’s actions as the reason for their experience, she said.

“This narrative focuses on what the survivor should or should not have done, traumatising them further instead of examining how the environment they were in enabled exploitation," she added. “I hope the Hema committee report’s focus on systemic issues will put the onus on those in power to create more equitable and accountable eco-systems.”

But change will take time, said director Indu after “decades of patriarchal conditioning in our society”. Yet, she remains hopeful. “From when I joined in 2010 to now, things have changed so much. More women are stepping up and making their voices heard," she said. "Whether it’s the WCC or the victim of the 2017 abuse, women aren’t taking things lying down."

She called the report "historic". She added: “From a space where people didn’t even realise they were facing injustice, to a point where we can distinguish good from bad, it is a huge step. "What Hema's report has managed to do is create a space for everyone in the film industry to share their experiences and will lead to more meaningful conversations. No longer will people live in ignorance.”