Ernakulam: Breaking his long silence on the Justice Hema Committee report and the #MeToo revelations that shook the Malayalam cinema industry, actor Mammootty on Sunday followed his colleague Mohanlal's footsteps by welcoming the report. Like Mohanlal and others, Mammootty rubbished the existence of a power group within the Malayalam film industry in a Facebook post. “There is no power group in cinema,” he wrote, asserting that such an alliance cannot survive in this field at any cost.
Justifying his silence, Mammootty wrote that, as a responsible member of an organisation (the Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes aka AMMA), the proper approach was to wait for an official response before commenting, which is why he took so long to speak out.
He added that cinema is not outside the periphery of the vices prevailing in society. Every small and large issue in the cinema industry has a significant impact, as it is constantly in the public eye.
The government established the Justice Hema Committee to examine and address the issues arising from certain incidents that should never have occurred, and to provide a report with recommendations and solutions. "I fully support the recommendations and solutions outlined in the report. This is the moment for everyone in the film industry to unite, without divisions, to implement these recommendations", he stated.
He also noted that the police are conducting a thorough investigation into the complaints that have emerged, and the full Justice Hema Committee report is now before the court. "Let the police carry out their investigation impartially, and let the courts determine the appropriate penalties. There are no 'power groups' in cinema, nor should such entities exist within the industry. I urge that the practical recommendations from the Justice Hema Committee be put into action, and if any legal barriers arise, appropriate legislation should be enacted. Ultimately, we must ensure that cinema continues to flourish."
