KOCHI: The Women in Cinema Collective (WCC) has termed filmmaker Vidhu Vincent's resignation as her individual decision but said it was "shocked at the organisational allegations, which were never raised by her until her sudden resignation".
WCC in a Facebook post on Wednesday said: "Vidhu’s resignation is her individual decision and we respect it. While we welcome her criticisms, the slander is unfortunate. We are shocked at the organisational allegations, which were never raised by her until this sudden resignation. We believe fact and objectivity are key at the moment."
It said that the WCC does not in any way facilitate the making or promotion of any films or regulate who its members work with. "As a Collective we have discussed the professional and personal conflicts that arise for each of us in working alongside our detractors in a small industry, without compromising WCC," it said, adding that the matter was also discussed in the context of Vidhu’s film in the managing committee meeting on September 15, 2019.
"The discussion included the individual work associations of other members too. Since some members, including Vidhu, were absent, the matter was set aside for more inputs and further deliberations," it added.
WCC said that many members had personally reached out to Vidhu several times over the last year sensing her dis-engagement with the Collective; "sadly none of these were positively reciprocated".
At no point was any explanation demanded from Vidhu, all the Collective hoped was to re-engage with one of its once most active colleagues. "We just wish Vidhu had held on to the mutual trust and spoken her mind, as she, like every other member of the Collective is empowered to do," the WCC post said.
Further, WCC came together as a support and advocacy forum for women in Malayalam cinema and not a grievance redressal cell. "To all members' knowledge including Vidhu, we have done our best to stand by the women who reached out to us and supported them to the extent of their journeys," it said.