Thiruvananthapuram: The state Cultural Affairs Ministry on Tuesday sanctioned Rs 1 crore with immediate effect to form a draft policy on the Malayalam cinema industry. This decision follows the release of the Hema Commission report, which sheds light on the challenges faced by women in the industry.
According to an official statement dated August 19, the fund will be used to establish a consultancy which will be responsible for examining the issues affecting workers in the production and distribution sectors of Malayalam cinema and submitting a comprehensive report to the government. The report will include recommendations for addressing these challenges. The amount was requested by the Kerala State Film Development Corporation Managing Director on August 5.
Read More: Casting couch, sexual favours: Hema Commission's shocking revelations on Malayalam film industry
Meanwhile, Cultural Affairs Minister Saji Cheriyan on Tuesday said that Justice K Hema had requested, in a letter dated December 19, 2019, that the commission report should remain confidential. Consequently, the State Information Officer was designated as the official custodian of it, and on August 22, 2020, then-Chief Information Officer Vinson M Paul issued an order reinforcing the decision to keep it private, leading to the report's delayed release.
Minister Cheriyan noted that extensive discussions have been held with various stakeholders, including members of the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC), the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA), theatre owners and technicians. He emphasised that the government has carefully analysed the feedback received.
The minister added that the government has planned to review the Hema Commission report on Wednesday to determine the next steps. Additionally, a conclave is scheduled to take place in Kochi this September, bringing together representatives from all sectors of the cinema industry, including technicians, prominent figures from Malayalam cinema and experts from Indian and global cinema, to discuss the issues raised by the commission in detail.
Former Cultural Affairs Minister A K Balan stated that testimonies were recorded with the assurance that the names of the victims or offenders would not be included in the report. "The government had taken some steps based on the Adoor Committee's report at the time. However, stakeholders raised concerns about the formation of a regulatory authority. Discussions were put on hold during the COVID-19 pandemic," he said.
He added that it was not legally possible to take action against the offenders because the report did not disclose any names. However, the government can still take steps to address the issues faced by the industry, he said.
"There was a time when films couldn't be released in A-class theaters due to the industry's influence. But we resolved this issue by allowing wide releases in B-class and C-class theaters," he said.
