The wait which spanned nearly five years is over, and the Kerala government has released the much anticipated Hema Committee report that investigated the malpractices prevailing in the Malayalam film industry which includes casting couch and sexual harassment against women.
Hema Commission prepared this report after collecting testimonies of 51 women working in the Malayalam film industry.
Mollywood in a state of shock
The report revealed that women working in Mollywood have been facing several issues which include sexual favor requests, late-night stalking and an unofficial ban from working in movies if they raise their voices against these atrocities.
Hema Commission, during the enquiry, found that women in cinema start facing harassment since day one of the movie shoot.
"It is revealed from the statements of various witnesses who were examined before the committee that the production controller or whoever gives an offer for a role in cinema first approaches the women, or a woman approaching any person in cinema seeking a chance in movies, she is told that she has to make adjustments and compromise," said the report.
According to the report, adjustment and compromise are two popular terms in Mollywood, which means "sex on demand."
Poor working conditions for women
The Hema Committee report further noted that women in Malayalam cinema have been facing problems related to pathetic work conditions for several years.
The commission highlighted that there is no sufficient number of toilets for ladies in the shooting sets of Malayalam movies.
Hema Committee added that women are often compelled to find secluded public spaces to meet their daily routine, and these spaces will not have any water facilities.
The report also noted that several young actors in Mollywood are heavily using narcotic substances.
The Kerala government established the Hema Committee in 2017 after the much-controversial sexual assault case involving a lead actor in Mollywood.
The Committee submitted their findings in 2019, and since then it has been under red tape. Recently, media personals from channels like Reporter TV approached the Right to Information office and Court, and obtained necessary permissions to get access to this report, which has now finally turned fruitful.
