The Hema Commission report has not just rocked Malayalam cinema but also has emboldened women from other film industries to call out sexual predators. However it always comes at a huge cost. Singer and dubbing artist Chinmayi Sripada who became the face of the Me Too movement in South India by naming lyricist Vairamuthu in a sexual assault case, said she is still facing the consequences of her actions including character-assassination. According to her, she had to face repercussions for speaking out while the accused remains a powerful name in the South Indian industry.
Speaking during a meeting organised by the Network of Women in Media, the singer said she is still facing a ban from the dubbing union for speaking out against Vairamuthu and lamented the state of the court proceedings when she went against the ban. She said the court proceedings was a hassle altogether too with the people involved in the legal system questioning her character. “I had to dress a certain way and keep my hair properly. But they, including the judge, did not bother to question the character assassination that was taking place in court against me,” she said.
In one of her old interviews with Onmanorama, prior to the release of the Hema Commission report, the singer had said she has shot herself in the foot so many times that she doesn’t have a foot anymore. “I will continue to speak up if I see people remain silent about abuse,” she had said.
Actor Sruthi Hariharan, who called out action king Arjun Sarja for his forceful, sexual advances during the shoot of Nibunan, a bilingual film in 2018, told Onmanorama that she is still recovering from the aftermath of her statements against the powerful, multi-lingual actor. According to the national award-winning actor, she has started getting films again but there was a time when offers had dried up. “I was literally out of work for the longest time, with very few offers coming my way. Women who speak up will have to face consequences. It is an unfortunate truth,” she said, adding that many in the film industry did not feel she was a marketable name after that.
“Currently, I am known as MeToo Sruthi. I think their intention is to put me down, but I carry that tag with a sense of pride and I am not embarrassed about it. Though we may be considered victims, they will slut shame us,” said the actor. Sruthi alleged that Arjun Sarja had made her uncomfortable on the sets of the film ‘Nibunan’. “As an actor, playing intimate roles is part of my job. But there should be a certain process and clear communication regarding those intimate scenes. There are a few men who are respectable in such situations, but in this case, I had an unpleasant experience,” she said.
In 2022, the Cubbon Park police in Karnataka gave Arjun Sarja a clean chit, due to lack of evidence. Sruthi said the fight against injustice and sexual assault for women who reveal their experiences are bound to be difficult. “Unless you are taking the legal route, I don’t think the woman needs to bother about the evidence. The woman’s word is good enough. However, if they do move legally, it is up to the man to find evidence to disprove the accusation rather than woman find evidence to prove they have been abused,” she said.
Sruthi who is also a member of the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC) said women who are coming out now should be appreciated for their courage. “Men will definitely deny these allegations, but at least they should be made aware that their actions are wrong and they will face consequences,” she said. She applauded the Hema Commission report and said such reports are important to understand where each industry stands.
