Vishnu Manchu Writes To Telangana Govt Urging To Form Committee Ensuring Women's Safety In Tollywood

Hema Committee report findings have shaken the Malayalam film industry. Several actresses and junior artists have come forward filing complaints against the perpetrators in the industry, including veteran male actors and directors (Siddique, Ranjith, Mukesh M and Jayasurya). The wave of the #MeToo movement has now reached other regional industries, including Tollywood, Kollywood and Sandalwood. Celebs, belonging to their respective industries, request their state government to form a body like the Hema Committee. Now, Vishnu Manchu, who is a President of the Movie Artistes Association (MAA), has written to the Telangana government urging them to set up a dedicated committee focused on improving safety for women in the Telugu film industry.

Vishnu Manchu requests for safe workplace for female artists in Tollywood

Taking to his X handle, Vishnu Manchu penned a note tagging Chief Minister Revanth Reddy, Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka and Cinematography Minister of Telangana Komatireddy Venkat Reddy. In his note, he urged to ensure a safe working space for female artists both in front of and behind the camera. “As President of MAA, I have formally requested the Hon’ble Chief Minister, Deputy CM, and Cinematography Minister of Telangana to establish a commission aimed at enhancing the safety and representation of women in the Telugu Film Industry. Ensuring a secure environment for all, both in front of and behind the camera, is our priority. MAA is committed to continuous improvement and welcomes suggestions from industry stakeholders to make our industry a benchmark for safety and empowerment,” his post reads.

His statements have come after actresses belonging to Telugu cinema and WCC asked the state government to make Tollywood's own Hema Committee report on sexual exploitation public. The report titled Sexual Harassment and Gender Discrimination in the Telugu Film and Television Industries was submitted two years ago to the then-BRS government led by K. Chandrashekar Rao. However, the state government chose not to make the findings public and shelved it.

What was in the report?

Through around 20 meetings the sub-committee learned about the harassment over payment of salaries, gender inequality, pay parity, poor work conditions and lack of written employment contracts. Some female artists also revealed that there were no separate restrooms or toilets for them. However, the subcommittee’s work was hampered by the COVID-19 lockdown and restrictions but continued it till 2022 by conducting interviews online.

The state government is yet to react to the requests of the Telugu film fraternity.