The release of the Justice Hema Committee report, which looked into the problems faced by women working in Malayalam cinema, has sent shockwaves across Kerala. The report vehemently states that women in the film industry face extreme discrimination and exploitation. From the casting couch and lack of basic facilities on sets to pay disparities and ostracism if they refuse to comply with demands from perpetrators, the report has unmasked the industry and exposed its vile side.
The three-member committee, chaired by former Kerala High Court judge K Hema and comprising veteran actor T Sarada and retired IAS officer KB Valsalakumari, was constituted by the Kerala government in July 2017 in the aftermath of the sexual assault of a prominent actor in a moving vehicle in February that year.
Junior artistes are not members of AMMA, FEFKA
In addition to the ordeals faced by actors and technicians, the panel also delved into the problems faced by junior artistes, who are unorganised workers since they are neither recognised as artistes nor technicians and therefore are not members of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes (AMMA) or the Film Employees Federation of Kerala (FEFKA).
During its study, the committee discovered that junior artistes face very serious issues in the Malayalam film industry and are “treated worse than slaves on certain sets.” The report clearly states that this group is not provided even basic facilities, including toilets, on sets despite being required to be present on-site for as long as 19 hours on certain days.
No food, no water, no chairs to sit
One junior artiste shared with the panel that during a shoot on a large open ground, they were all made to stand in the hot sun for a long period without any provision for shade, while the bigger artistes were at least given an umbrella. “The junior artistes who were all made to stand in the hot sun were not even given anything to eat or drink on many sets,” the report states, emphasising that generally, they aren’t even provided water by the production team.
Further asserting the extremely inhumane treatment they receive, the report mentions that although only 100 persons are required for a shoot, thousands of junior artistes are told to come to the set. From this large group, the movie’s team selects those they deem fit and only they receive food coupons. The others, instructed to remain on set, are seldom given food or water and are not provided any space to sit. One person recalled how a junior artiste with a heart condition was fired from a set merely because she sat on a chair after becoming exhausted from standing under the hot sun for a long time.
Sexual exploitation of junior artistes rampant
“Women come for cinema shooting as junior artistes only because of their very bad financial position,” the report states, asserting that those in power shamelessly exploit their situation. The report also emphasises that junior artistes are rarely paid on time. “The junior artiste would have to meet the producer or the person who has engaged them for the work repeatedly and they have to beg for the money which they owe to the artiste.” The panel also found that middlemen/coordinators take a lion’s share of the wages meant for each person.
Another shocking revelation in the report is that many individuals in the industry exploit women for sex. “The girls who are called for working as junior artistes are told that they would be given a chance in the cinema if they comply with the demands for sex.” The report states, “WhatsApp groups are created by certain coordinators or managers with both men and women as members and thereby give them the opportunity to contact each other and they get acquainted. Their acquaintance leads to undesirable results and even ends up in the flesh trade.” The panel also found that there are many fake junior artiste coordinators in the industry exploiting women.
No time limit for the work of junior artistes
Furthermore, the committee revealed that many production teams abandon junior artistes after late-night shoots without providing accommodation or transport. “The women will have to go home all alone and there were occasions where they have to sleep even in the railway stations for safety.”
The report also states that film personnel show little concern for junior artistes who sustain injuries during work. “One of the witnesses stated that while shooting was going on for a high-budget movie recently, in which very famous artistes were working, a 70-year-old woman got burn injuries when hot oil happened to spill over her body. Even though she was taken to the hospital by the production team, no amount was paid for her treatment,” it adds. The same was the case with another person who fractured his leg on the same set. The report also mentions that there is no time limit for the work of junior artistes, and they are not given any compensation for overtime.
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