The Women in Cinema Collective (WCC) on Sunday extended support to a woman actor in a popular television serial, who raised allegations of inappropriate behaviour against the director of the serial.
Nisha Sarang, who plays one of the lead characters in the serial ‘Uppum Mulakum’ which is being telecasted in Flowers TV, had alleged that she was removed from the serial because she resisted his advances.
Suo motu case
The WCC, in its statement, said that the police department has the responsibility of filing a suo motu case and carrying out an investigation, into the complaint of harassment at workplace.
“Our organisation has been working towards the formation of an Internal Complaints Committee, which is required for legally handling the issues that women face in the film industry. It is unfortunate that there is no ICC in Malayalam Cinema, which has now completed its 90th anniversary.
“If the police are not taking action on this specific complaint, it is the responsibility of people’s representatives and the organisation that represents her to take it up. We will be with her and with all women who face such attacks,” said the statement.
The statement also questioned the intentions of those who target the WCC on all women-related issues in cinema and outside.
“Now, whatever issue related to women in cinema crops up, some sections raise the question of what WCC has done on this. Though we see this as a recognition of our work, we are aware that these questions are not so innocent. These are questions that they never ask the police department or film organisations which collect lakhs in membership fees.
“Most of the ones who ask this question to an organisation, which was formed by a small group of women hardly a year ago, are those who stood with the accused in the case involving the abduction and rape of our fellow actor,” said the statement.
Meanwhile, the Flowers TV in a statement on Sunday rubbished reports of Nisha Sarang being removed from the serial.
“Nisha Sarang will continue to do the role in ‘Uppum Mulakum’, which has now completed 650 episodes. The channel management has taken seriously the allegations that have been raised,” said the statement.
