Hema Committee report impact: Sruthi Hariharan calls for a similar committee in the Kannada film industry

Actor Sruthi Hariharan.
| Photo Credit: MURALI KUMAR K

Kannada actor Sruthi Hariharan has called for a forum in the Kannada film industry along the lines of the K. Hema Committee, which was constituted by the Government of Kerala following Women in Cinema Collective’s (WCC) petition in 2017.

Published recently, the Hema Committee report revealed horrid tales of sexual exploitation, illegal bans, discrimination, drug and alcohol abuse, wage disparity and in some cases, inhuman working conditions in the Malayalam film industry. Following the report, allegations of sexual harassment from several women have rocked Mollywood.

Sruthi, known for films such as Lucia, Godhi Banna Sadharana Mykattu, Beautiful Manasugalu and Nathicharami, took to Instagram to express her opinion on the ongoing issue. “It would be great to have a committee similar to that of the Justice K. Hema Committee for an unbiased and fair investigation on the working conditions of women across all departments of the Kannada film industry,” she wrote.

“Please don’t sensationalise this and just focus on the sexual harassment angle. A committee like this will go far beyond just that and help uplift and empower women in many other ways,” added the National Award-winning actor.

In 2018, Sruthi had accused popular actor Arjun Sarja of sexual harassment amidst the #MeToo wave. Even as Sarja denied the allegations, Sruthi filed a complaint against Sarja with the Cubbon Park police station in Bengaluru. Three years after the complaint, the investigation was closed by the cops due to ‘lack of evidence’.

In 2019, the actor had said that she didn’t regret raising her voice but felt victimised for doing so. “I have sacrificed my career opportunities in the medium of expression I liked the most,” she had told The Hindu.

Recently, leading women actors, producers and directors demanded that the Telangana government release the 2022 report on sexual harassment in the Telugu film industry. Actor Samantha Ruth Prabhu had said that she “welcomed the Hema Committee report and applauded the persistent efforts of the WCC in Kerala.”

In the Tamil film industry, veteran actor Radhika Sarathkumar said that actors harbouring political ambitions should voice support for women from their own industry. She added that it’s the responsibility of the producers to make sure a film set is a conducive environment for women artistes.