Hema report, ICC’s role
With the publication of the Justice K. Hema Committee report, the putrid state of the Malayalam film industry has come to the fore. The onus is on the State government not to fail to see the wood in its entirety. The Internal Complaints Committee, despite its weaknesses, would still be a bulwark to stall atrocities against women. What is needed is to calibrate this to a foolproof level.
Ayyasseri Raveendranath,
Aranmula, Kerala
The issue of ‘favours’ solicited from women in return for roles in films was an open secret. But then, society in Kerala was not willing to accept it. The report should lead to structural changes where ‘gang’ assent should be replaced by selection on the basis of talent and abilities alone.
Cijo Joseph,
Kozha, Kottayam, Kerala
The report’s push for transparency and accountability could disrupt power dynamics, potentially facing resistance from those benefiting from the status quo. Although it emphasises the need for stronger legal frameworks and survivor support systems, the real challenge lies in fostering a cultural shift toward respect and equality. Without sustained pressure from within and outside the industry, these reforms may remain on paper.
Narayanan Kizhumundayur,
Thrissur, Kerala
I am a person in his nineties and one who spends his waking hours reading, writing, listening to music and watching Malayalam movies. Unfortunately, the revelations of the report have damaged the level of my enjoyment of these films. In a particular scene in a film, a young actor embraces an old man with much emotion on hearing the news about the passing of a girl character. After going though details in the report, I felt ill as the report has also hinted at how the young actor, in real life, had tried to harm the older actor’s career. I, like others, wish to see Malayalam movies as beautiful flowers on a boxwood shrub.
V. Babusenan,
Thiruvananthapuram
