Actor and activist Lakshmy Ramakrishnan had stood up to horrible instances of inappropriate behaviour twice in Malayalam cinema; both from very senior film directors. In one instance she was removed from the movie and in another case, she demanded an apology from the director and the entire crew stood by her, Lakshmy told Onmanorama.
"I had a very horrible experience with a senior director who kept torturing me on the film set and I was eventually removed from the movie. In another instance, a very senior director's behaviour towards me was completely inappropriate. I reprimanded him on the spot and demanded an apology, and the entire crew stood by me," she recalled.
Having gone through such unpleasant experiences, she praised the Malayalam film industry for its courage in addressing such issues referring to the Hema committee report. She said that only a few individuals have shown the bravery to speak out.
She described sexual harassment as something that "snatches someone's life away," citing the case of Sujatha, known by her career name Sowmya, a 90s actor who recently accused a Tamil director of rape and harassment. Ramakrishnan lamented that it took Sujatha 27 years to even start healing and expressed concern about how harassment impacts a woman's dignity.
Reflecting on her own experiences, Ramakrishnan shared that she entered the industry primarily in mother roles rather than as a leading heroine. She had the support of her husband and family. She attributed her relatively smooth experience to her established image and her activist stance, which may have contributed to fewer issues. She acknowledged that while she faced some problems with a PRO and a producer, she managed to handle them on her own.
Ramakrishnan said that while the Malayalam film industry has made significant strides, there is still much to be done. She highlighted the efforts of the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC), which fought for the Hema Committee report, noting that its release was a significant achievement. However, she expressed scepticism about similar progress in Tamil cinema, suggesting that it could take another 20 years for a meaningful change given the deep-rooted patriarchal mindset.
The actor also commented on the decision of the South Indian Artistes’ Association (SIAA), or the ‘Nadigar Sangam,’ to impose a five-year ban on individuals found guilty of sexual offences. When asked about actor Jiiva's assertion that sexual harassment is a problem only in the Malayalam film industry and not in Tamil cinema, Ramakrishnan questioned the validity of such claims. "How can they certify that sexual harassment does not occur in their industry? Have they spoken to women?" she asked, recalling instances of many women who came forward in 2020 to share their experiences of harassment.
