Women in Cinema Collective, an organization of working women in the Malayalam film industry, questioned the Kerala Film Producers Association (KFPA) for not taking action against the sexual assault accused producer Vijay Babu and director Liju Krishna.
Recently, the association took disciplinary action against actor Sreenath Bhasi for insulting a woman journalist. In a statement, they noted that there are more such cases on film personalities in the police stations and courts that need to be evaluated.
“Liju Krishna, the director of Padavettu was arrested and is out on bail currently while there have been allegations against the executive producer of the film. The film producers are celebrating the upcoming release of this film, directed by the accused.
Vijay Babu went into hiding when a woman filed a police complaint against him for rape. While in hiding he publicly named and shamed the rape victim. He too is on bail and is celebrated by the industry members and allowed to function as if he has done no wrong,” the statement read.
WCC also questioned if is it money and power that dictate who will be disciplined and who will not. It also demanded KFPA to adopt a zero-tolerance policy against gender discrimination and harassment.
“We urge KFPA to set systems in place to discourage such persons from working in our Industry and thus make our workplace dignified and safe for everyone,” the statement added.