Veteran actor Nassar says film sets have become a safer workplace for women today as makers have implemented strong code of conduct and “rules” in place which ensures civil behaviour. The importance of safety on sets became a talking point after the explosive Justice Hema Committee report, which highlighted harassment and exploitation faced by women in the Malayalam film industry.
During the IIFA Utsavam green carpet, Indianexpress.com asked the 66-year-old about film sets being safer today and how has he seen them change in his career of over 40 years.
“I have to admit, when I started in the 80s, we were glued only to the making, had comparatively very less safety measures, particularly when we would shoot stunt sequences and dance. Now it has become a rule that you have to have safety measures. Not only physical, but also psychological. There are a lot of rules and code of conduct, in terms of how to behave with women. Now everybody is safe,” he said.
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The Justice Hema Committee was released by the Kerala government last month, four-and-a-half years after it was submitted to the Kerala Chief Minister. The 233-page document, even with redacted portions, provided a damning indictment of the discrimination and exploitation faced by women in the Malayalam film industry. The release of the report caused a domino effect, with several names being publicly outed amid massive uproar.
At the green carpet of the gala night, Nassar was also asked about how he was among the earliest set of actors who did pan-Indian cinema even before the word became a vogue and if he has noted any differences in the workings of various Indian film industries. “Each and every industry has a different approach. I cannot say one is good and the other is bad. They all have different kind of an approach,” he added
After IIFA Utsavam, the IIFA Awards will be held on September 28, which will be hosted by Shah Rukh Khan. Then, on September 29, IIFA Rocks will take place. Rekha, Shahid Kapoor, Kriti Sanon, Ananya Panday, Janhvi Kapoor, and Vicky Kaushal, among others, will perform at the event.
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