The report from a committee headed by retired judge K Hema on the plight of women in the Malayalam film industry has allegedly been giving sleepless nights to many top professionals, as it is believed to contain highly sensitive information.This was the first committee in the country set up to conduct a comprehensive study of gender issues in the film sector. It was appointed following demands from the Women in Cinema Collective after the abduction and molestation of an actor, allegedly involving another top actor. The panel started working in November 2017 and submitted its report on December 31, 2019. But the government decided not to release it despite several requests from journalists and information rights activists. The government’s argument was that Justice Hema herself had asked not to reveal the report as it would infringe on the privacy of many industry players. The government also pointed out that it was not duty-bound to release the report as it was not a judicial commission.
But the State Information Commission had recently ordered the report’s release. Criticising the government for withholding it for so long, the commission said the non-disclosure undermined the very purpose of forming the panel. It also said it was in the larger public interest that the report be made public after removing portions affecting the privacy of those who had given testimonies and other connected persons.
As the release deadline was nearing, a producer challenged the information commission’s order arguing that it would impinge on the privacy of those who had testified under the promise of confidentiality. The Kerala High Court has now passed an interim order for a week’s stay on the release.
The government had instituted the Hema committee with the aim of reforming the film industry’s health, employment and security practices for women. It suggested solutions to the problems, including on service conditions and remuneration, and measures to enhance women’s participation in all fields connected to films. So far, the state government has not done anything significant in this direction. Its promise to bring out a cinema policy is still only on paper. For sure, the actions based on the Hema committee report would be equally or more important than its content. Those actions need to be taken to make the industry more participatory and equitable.