Three makeup artists in Mollywood -- Rohini, Elizabeth, and Angel -- have begun a hunger strike in Kochi alleging incessant harassment and denial of opportunities at their workplace. The makeup artists have also sought the resignation of FEFKA secretary B Unnikrishnan and claimed that they were ousted from the union for speaking out against the power dynamics and the misconduct of the association. They alleged that they have been denied work opportunities despite paying hefty fee as membership. Recently, another makeup artist Shivappriya Maneeshya was allegedly removed from the association for giving statements to the Hema Commission, which had recently released a report about the incidents of physical and mental abuse within the Malayalam film industry.

Women in Cinema Collective (WCC) and actors Rima Kallingal and Parvathy have expressed their solidarity to the makeup artists who are protesting outside the All Kerala Makeup and Cine Artists Union office in Kochi. 

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"Meet Rohini, Elizabeth and Angel. They have been at the receiving end of incessant harassment and abuse and when they spoke up , they were threatened and gaslit. Eventually, ousted from their union in the name of ‘disciplinary actions’. They are the only ones who have come forward now.

FEFKA’s grand POA is this?! I’m told there are many who have now been intimidated into silence. This is the ground reality of our work place. Oh and what’s not surprising is that despite multiple asks and efforts, there has been hardly any coverage on their struggles in the media here in Kerala. No TRP treasures found here, is it!? Or has the media also been hushed successfully? I wish I could say this is shocking," Parvathy wrote. Though Onmanorama tried to contact B Unnikrishnan, he was not available for comments.

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