Hema Committee-like Report In Sandalwood? Karnataka's Women Commission To Probe MeToo Charges

Hema Committee Report Impact: Inspired by the actions of Malayalam female artists after the redacted version of the report release, the Kannada film industry has also sought intervention from Karnataka CM Siddarmaiah. On Thursday, actors such as Neetu Shetty, Chetan Ahimsa and Shruthi Hariharan met with the CM to submit a letter urging him to probe sexual harassment cases in the industry.

In the latest update, it has been reported that Karnataka's Women Commission is likely to meet the Sandalwood Actor regarding the allegations of sexual misconduct in the industry.

The fallout of the Hema Committee report reaches Sandalwood

It has been reported that Karnataka's Women Commission will be meeting the Kannada actors to investigate the allegations of sexual harassment faced by women in the film industry. The commission will gather the evidence and statements from actors to form a report.

Kannada artists request for Hema Committee-like report in Sandalwood

A total of 153 people from the industry, including Kiccha Sudeep and Ramya, wrote a letter to CM urging them to look into the matter. They also requested to appoint a committee led by a retired judge similar to the Hema Committee. The actors, who are part of Film Industry For Rights & Equality (FIRE), said that more strict and comprehensive measures are needed to curb sexual abuse in the workplace. Kavita Lankesh, leading FIRE has also been pushing for reform in the Kannada industry following the #MeToo movement. “Conduct a thorough investigation into the systematic issues faced by women in KFI, including sexual harassment. Develop and recommend policies to ensure a healthy and equitable work environment for all women in the industry,” the letter read.

After meeting with the state CM, Chetan, founder of FIRE (Film Industry for Rights and Equality), spoke to ANI and emphasised the need for a comprehensive report to tackle pervasive inequality, discrimination, and sexual harassment in the film industry. He praised the Kerala government for publishing the Hema Committee report, exposing shocking accounts of harassment and exploitation of women artists in the Malayalam cinema industry.