Breaking Down Mollywood #Metoo Wave: How It All Began And What Lies Ahead

#MeToo in Mollywood: The Malayalam film industry is faced with a moment of reckoning. The Justice K Hema Committee Report findings, which detailed how women professionals in Mollywood were systematically harassed and discriminated against, led to the implication of bigwigs in Mollywood and a clamour among political circles.

The shake-up came at a time when doctors in many parts of the country are protesting against the rape and murder of a trainee doctor in the eastern city of Kolkata, leading to strikes in several hospitals and anger on social media. Let's take a look at how a sexual abuse case of an actress in 2017 snowballed into a scandal of this huge proportion.

A 2017 rape case lifts the lid on a murky film industry

In February 2017, a popular Malayalam actress came forward alleging abduction and sexual assault on her in Kochi. The entire act was filmed by some of the accused to blackmail the actress. There are 10 accused in the case, including actor Dileep, a former member of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes (AMMA), who was also arrested and sent to jail. He was released after the court granted him bail. The case is pending.  

WCC is born

The Women in Cinema Collective (WCC), comprising women actors, producers, directors and technicians, was formed in response to this incident. The body works towards building a safe, non-discriminatory and professional workspace for women in cinema through advocacy and policy change.

WCC supported the victim in voicing her complaint and helped her seek necessary support from the authorities, followed by rehabilitation. Beena Paul, Manju Warrier, Rima Kallingal, Parvathy, Vidhu Vincent, Sajitha Madathil, Deedi Damodaran, Fousia Fathima, Ramya Nambeesan, Sayanora Philip, Anjali Menon, Asha Aachi Joseph, Indu Namboothiri and others were WCC's founding members.

WCC forces the government's hand in forming the Justice Hema Committee

In June 2017, after pressure from the WCC and other concerned parties mounted, the government of Kerala constituted the Justice K Hema Commission to study issues of sexual harassment and gender inequality in Malayalam cinema. Senior actress Sharada and Retd IAS officer KV Valsalakumari were its members.  

Even though the report was filed in 2019, it took over five years to release it as it was suspected to contain sensitive information. When the report was finally made public on August 19, 2024, certain portions of it were redacted and names of individuals were not revealed to maintain privacy. The Film Employees Federation of Kerala (FEFKA) has demanded to release the report in full.

17 forms of exploitation detailed in Hema Committee Report

Justice Hema Committee report released on August 19 sheds light on the widespread and persistent sexual harassment faced by women in the Malayalam cinema industry, with many alleging they were subjected to unwanted advances even before commencing work.

According to the report, women actors who are ready to compromise are given code names, and those who are not ready to compromise are pushed out of the field. The panel report also alleged that the Malayalam film industry is under the control of a "criminal gang." It categorically mentioned that the police should register FIRs against crimes that are being committed in the industry, and many are not coming out fearing for their lives. It further stated that anyone who does anything that upsets the 'mafia group' that controls Malayalam cinema is unofficially banned from the industry.

Among the 17 issues faced by women working in the Malayalam film industry, some, as per the findings of the Justice Hema Committee report, are listed below:

-- A lack of basic facilities for women, including toilets and changing rooms at places of work.
-- Women lack safety at their workplace and accommodation.
-- The use of drugs and alcohol, disorderly conduct and misbehaviour at place of work by men, which lead to gross indiscipline.
-- Being subject to demeaning or vulgar comments at places of work.
-- The non-execution of contracts between employer and employee to suit individual requirements.
-- The failure to pay the agreed remuneration.
-- Disparity of remuneration between men and women, and gender discrimination in remuneration.
-- Resistance/reluctance to allow women to work on the technical side cinema.
-- Online harassment.
-- Lack of legal awareness about their own rights.
-- The absence of any legally constituted authority to redress their grievances.

Prime accused so far and SIT formation

Well-known names of Malayalam cinema, including actor-politician M Mukesh and Jayasurya have been booked by the police for rape and sexual assault of a woman colleague. Other accused so far include  Maniyanpilla Raju, Idavela Babu, Siddique, Ranjith, Baburaj, Thulasidas among others working behind the camera.

An SIT, consisting of 7 members, including 4 senior female IPS officers, has been formed to investigate complaints of assault on women. The team includes DIG S Ajeetha Begum, Crime Branch HQ SP Merin Joseph, Coastal Police AIG Poonkuzhali, Kerala Police Academy Assistant Director Aishwarya Dongre, AIG Ajith V and Crime Branch SP S Madhusoodhan and Kerala's south zone police inspector-general, Sparjan Kumar, according to a report in news agency PTI. Crime Branch ADGP H Venkatesh will be overseeing the functioning of the team.

What lies ahead?

After the #MeToo storm, AMMA's executive committee members including president Mohanlal resigned en masse citing "moral grounds". Re-election will take place in two months.

Meanwhile, the police have filed nine complaints against several members of the Malayalam film industry, including a director and veteran actors, Kerala's south zone police inspector-general, Sparjan Kumar, told Reuters.

"We have so far received 16 complaints from women in the film industry. We are examining all the complaints and taking follow-up action," Kumar, who heads a seven-member special police team probing the allegations, said.