WCC steps up campaign for safe workplaces in Malayalam film industry as more women raise allegations

The post shared by Women in Cinema Collective on its official Facebook page.

Even as more women came out with allegations against male actors and filmmakers of the Malayalam film industry, the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC) which catalysed the publication of the Justice K. Hema Committee report has stepped up its campaign for safe workplaces in the industry.

With a hashtag #changethenarrative, the WCC on Monday (August 26, 2024) shared a post on its official Facebook page. “To women who didn’t have the privilege or the circumstance to say “NO”. It was not your fault. To women who do have that privilege, Let us create a safe work space they didn’t have,” reads the post.

It was as per the demands of the WCC that the Kerala government constituted the Hema committee, which prepared the report which laid bare the issues faced by women in the industry, including sexual exploitation, as well as those faced by junior artistes and people working at various levels in the film industry.

On Monday, actor Minu Muneer alleged that some of the big names in the industry subjected her to physical and verbal abuse. Those named included Communist Party of India (Marxist) MLA and actor M. Mukesh, actor and producer Maniyanpilla Raju, actor and former general secretary of Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA) Edavela Babu, actor Jayasoorya, a production controller and others.

“In 2013, I was subjected to physical and verbal abuse by these individuals while working on a project. I tried to cooperate and continue working, but the abuse became unbearable. As a result, I was forced to leave the Malayalam film industry and relocate to Chennai. I am now seeking justice and accountability for the trauma and suffering I endured. I request your assistance in taking action against for their heinous actions,” she said in a Facebook post.

Mr. Raju has denied the allegations while the others are yet to react.