After Vidhu, costume designer Stephy flays WCC, targets 'privileged layer' in the collective

Costume designer Stephy Zaviour has slammed the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC) of Mollywood. This has come a day after writer-director Vidhu Vincent revealed about the 'double standards' of WCC.

In a Facebook post, the designer alleged that she was kept out from projects after she sought remuneration for her work from a director, who is also part of the WCC. Even when she strongly criticised the WCC, Stephy said that the Film Employees Federation of Kerala (FEFKA) had always stood by her.

Recounting the incident when she was cold-shouldered by the director, Stephy said, “I was called as the costume designer for this director's movie in 2017. Since I trusted her, I did not seek any advance amount nor did I sign any agreement before completing the first schedule. I also worked on the pre-production and trailer of the final schedule. Then when I asked for the remuneration, I was kept away from the project without giving any proper reason. When I responded to this, the director said, 'I had already joined the industry when you were born.'

"My assistant was also asked to work with her without informing me. Then when the film was released, my name was not included in the title card or the thank you card. Such people are at the helm of the WCC, claiming to work towards women empowerment,” Stephy said.

While alleging that a 'privilege layer' existed in the WCC, the noted designer said that the collective should introspect and first bring changes within before claiming that women were harassed always at the hands of the man.

Stephy also narrated an incident when FEFKA general secretary B Unnikrishnan resolved an issue involving a woman associate director without using it to settle scores with the WCC.

She also said that FEFKA had been supportive all through her film career.

"When I faced an issue at the sets of one of my initial films in 2015, FEFKA had intervened and solved it for me. Not just me, FEFKA has always stood by several women working in the technical departments of the cinema," she explained.

Stephy further said that equality does not mean the growth of a certain individual, but also nurturing the junior artists and technicians who are in the lower rungs of the industry.

"It is saddening to note that a collective that was formed for the women's upliftment and equality has now turned into an outfit that only focusses on the grade and position of the main members, while taking decisions,” Stephy added.

Director Vidhu Vincent had resigned from the WCC a couple of days ago. She had also published her resignation letter on FB in which she had strongly criticised the collective and some of its members.