Thiruvananthapuram: The Hema Commission report, released on Monday, revealed grave concerns regarding the effectiveness of the Internal Complaints Committees (ICC) within the Malayalam film industry. The report states that the formation of ICCs is not recommended due to several reasons.
According to the report, the Malayalam film industry is under the control of a powerful lobby of male producers, directors, and actors who "dominate other persons working in cinema." The report highlighted that "these influential figures could even coerce and threaten the persons who work in ICC to deal with the complaint, in the manner they demand." The report describes the situation in cinema as "very shocking."
The report further argued that "the constitution of ICC may not be a solution at all to the problems of women in the Malayalam industry in the present scenario." It warned that the current power structure would likely undermine the confidentiality and effectiveness of the ICC, with allegations of harassment potentially becoming public, "contrary to the wishes of the aggrieved woman."
Given these circumstances, the Hema Commission strongly recommended the establishment of an independent forum, constituted by the government, to address women's grievances in the Malayalam film industry, as this would provide a more effective solution.
Members of the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC) had previously requested the Committee to recommend the formation of ICCs in every production unit and the Association of Malayalam Artistes (AMMA) in line with Supreme Court guidelines. Several suggestions on how to structure these committees were also presented during the hearings.
