Hema Committee Report: What Lies Ahead After Resignations Of Siddique, Ranjith?

The Hema Committee report, originally submitted to the Kerala government five years ago, has recently come to light, coinciding with a time of heightened unrest in India following the brutal rape and murder of a female doctor in Kolkata.

Released on August 19, 2024, the report sheds a harsh light on the systemic issues plaguing the Malayalam film industry, particularly concerning the treatment of women.

Although the findings focus on a specific industry, they resonate with women across various sectors, reflecting a broader, pervasive reality, reported Hindustan Times.

On August 23, Malayalam actor Siddique publicly welcomed the report's findings, urging the government to take swift action on its recommendations.

However, just two days later, on August 25, Siddique resigned from his position as the general secretary of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA).

His resignation, on the same day that filmmaker Ranjith stepped down as chairman of the Kerala Chalachitra Academy following accusations of misconduct, marks a significant moment in the ongoing battle for accountability and reform within the industry.

The Hema Committee report owes its origins to a tragic incident in February 2017 when actress Bhavana Menon was abducted and assaulted by a group of men during a journey from Thrissur to Kochi.

Actor Dileep, a prominent figure in the Malayalam film industry, was charged with criminal conspiracy in connection with the assault. Despite the charges, Dileep continued to maintain a thriving career, highlighting the deep-seated issues of power and impunity within the industry.

In response, the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC) was formed, advocating not only for justice in Bhavana's case but also for a broader investigation into the systemic abuse women face in the industry.

This led to the formation of a three-member panel that produced the 290-page Hema Committee report, a document filled with disheartening and infuriating revelations.

The report details "unchecked, uncontrolled" sexual harassment and the debilitating fear that women in the industry experience.

"Men in industry make open demands for sex without any qualms as if it's their birthright. Women are left with very little options but to oblige - or reject at the cost of their long-awaited dream of pursuing cinema as their profession," reads an excerpt.

The fear that women harbour, the report reveals, extends beyond physical safety to concerns about job security and the well-being of their families: "We are concerned about their and their close relatives' safety...they were afraid they would lose their jobs."

The report also highlights the deplorable working conditions faced by junior artists, especially women.

Many are forced to endure long hours without access to basic necessities such as toilets, changing rooms, food, or water, and are often paid meagre wages.

The report describes the dehumanising experiences of women who, due to the lack of facilities, are forced to hold their urine and refrain from changing their sanitary napkins for extended periods, leading to illness and hospitalization.

Despite the report's damning contents, it has taken nearly five years for it to be made public due to legal challenges.

The revelations it contains are not limited to actors alone but encompass the experiences of a wide range of professionals within the industry, including producers, directors, scriptwriters, cinematographers, hairstylists, makeup artists, and costume designers.

This broad spectrum of testimony underscores the pervasive nature of the abuse and exploitation women face.

As Bina Paul, a founding member of the WCC, aptly noted in an interview with The New Indian Express, "It's an attitudinal problem"-one rooted in the unrelenting male gaze and the systemic relegation and disregard for women within the industry.

In recent years, however, women have begun to band together, sharing their experiences and reclaiming their agency.

The power of this collective voice is evident in the response to the Hema Committee report, which has unmasked the systemic abuse that has long been concealed by the so-called "prestige" of the Malayalam film industry.

Retired Justice K Hema, who led the committee, highlighted how the WCC's efforts have exposed the "pressurised silence of women" as the means by which the industry's reputation has been maintained.