IN a startling revelation, the Justice K Hema Committee, constituted by the Kerala government to investigate the issues faced by women in the film industry, reported that the casting couch is prevalent in the Malayalam film industry. The report begins with the following lines: “The sky is full of mysteries; with the twinkling stars and the beautiful moon. But scientific investigation revealed that stars do not twinkle, nor does the moon look beautiful. The study therefore cautions: 'Do not trust what you see, even salt looks like sugar!”

The committee stated that the glamour of the industry is merely an exterior glitter, but dark clouds of distress hover over it. The committee listened to various stories of despair, not only from women but from men as well. Shockingly, these voices are silenced within the industry. Their anguish and agony die within, with no forum available to seek solutions, despite their numerous problems.

The three-member committee, headed by retired High Court judge Justice K Hema, was formed in July 2017 in response to the sexual assault of a prominent actor in a moving vehicle in February of that year.

The committee found that issues within the industry include sexual harassment, lack of basic facilities like women’s toilets, gender bias and discrimination, disparity in remuneration, and the absence of a legally constituted authority to address these problems.

“It is very painful to hear some incidents narrated by witnesses in which highly placed men in cinema were involved. These are the people whom society looks up to with great reverence and admiration. Incident by incident, as the narration progressed, many icons started crumbling. These are the people who have the influence and power to change the course of Malayalam movies. Unfortunately, these are the very people contributing to the degeneration of the profession.”

“Surprisingly, in the course of the study, we came to know that certain men had also suffered significantly in the industry, and many of them, including some very prominent artists, were banned, without authorisation, from working in cinema… They would have, knowingly or unknowingly, invited the wrath of one or another person from the powerful lobby that rules the industry,” the report stated.stakes...