Women’s organisations demanded media outlets and police not to reveal names of victims who have figured in the 41 page-long criminal complaint related to a Tollywood sex scandal filed before United States district court on April 30.
The Chicago scandal as the case is popularly known had pointed fingers at a Telugu film producer and his wife who allegedly forced female actors of Telugu and Kannada film industry into sex trade by inviting them to Chicago on the pretext of cultural events.
Telangana government should discourage public and the media from attempting to uncover actors who might have been victims of sex crimes, they said.
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Organised racket
Activists and writers Sujatha Surepally, Jhansi, Vijaya Bandhu and Devi said the case should not be dismissed as a one-off scandal because “there is enough evidence in the chargesheet to conclude sex work is a well-organised and thriving racket”.
Drawing a parallel between Chicago case and allegations raised by actor Sri Reddy, who accused bigwigs in the film industry of sexual exploitation, the women’s group asked media and other stakeholders including Telangana government to investigate into cases of harassment that have come out in the recent past.
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“If women are allowed to work only if they offer sexual favours they are left with no choice but to put up with exploitation or quit the profession,” said Ms. Surepally.
Several known actors, directors and producers of Telugu film industry were named by hundreds of character actors who came out to narrate instances of sexual harassment they faced, Ms. Devi added. In the recent past, it was also revealed that mid-level managers of the industry are complicit in sexual crimes against women.
Panel needed
The activists demanded the State government to constitute a committee to look into allegations raised against the industry. “Telugu film industry has found it difficult to accept these allegations made by women. Very few stalwarts came out openly to recognize this widespread but invisible sexual exploitation of women artists. The majority has been silent or blamed the women artists for being either gullible or greedy and promiscuous,” another activist Tejaswini Madabhushi said.
Successful actors and producers have been stalling the exercise to “institute a comprehensive mechanism to prevent such sexual harassment,” she added.
Film producers
The Chicago complaint “clearly shows Telugu film producers have been using female actors to make money”, activists alleged. The group pointed to fake documents, non-existent events which were allegedly used to entice women to “entertain interested parties in hotel rooms”.
The Film Development Corporation and the Federation of Film Chambers should immediately formulate an action plan to stop sexual harassment and exploitation that has been plaguing the industry, the women leaders said.