Lijo Jose Pellissery reacts to Hema Commission report, says silence is not an option

Director Lijo Jose Pellissery has reacted strongly to the findings in the Hema Commission report, which was published recently by the state government. In a short yet powerful statement on Facebook, the ‘Malaikottai Vaaliban’ director said the report has addressed very important issues plaguing the industry. “The issues that are discussed in the Hema Committee report are grave and needs to be dealt with seriously. Silence is not a solution,” he said.

The post was flooded with comments by netizens who praised the filmmaker’s strong stand on the issue. On Thursday, producer Sandra Thomas too questioned the silence of various film organisations with regard to the Hema Committee report. “Malayalam cinema is being ridiculed in the face of the issues pointed out in the report. Why are the film unions not speaking up? This will only lead to suspicion that all these organisations are under the control of the 15-member power group mentioned in the Hema Committee report,” she said, adding that no one requires a week to study the findings in the report. Following the release of the report, many women, including Thilakan’s daughter Sonia and yesteryear actor Usha have spoken about sexual harassment they faced from people within the film industry.