Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Thursday, September 5, said he would convene a meeting with members of the Film Industry for Rights and Equality (FIRE) regarding the demand for an inquiry into working conditions in the Kannada film industry, similar to the one in Kerala by the Hema Committee. 

Siddaramaiah made the promise when a delegation of FIRE members met him to demand a comprehensive inquiry into issues affecting women in the Kannada film industry. The meeting happened a day after the FIRE wrote an open letter to the CM signed by over 150 writers, theatre persons, literary and film critics, film actors, directors and producers, journalists, advocates and activists from across Karnataka. The letter requested the Karnataka government to set up a committee along the lines of the Hema Committee in Kerala to study systemic issues in the Kannada film industry. 

Actor Chetan Kumar told TNM that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah wanted to know whether the situation in the Kannada film industry was comparable to what had happened in Kerala. He told the delegation that he would soon call for a longer meeting with the association.

In their letter, dated September 4, FIRE had urged the government to address concerns within the Kannada film industry. The letter sought the appointment of a committee headed by a retired judge to investigate systemic issues in the film industry, including sexual harassment, and to reccommend policies that would ensure a “healthy and equitable work environment for all women in the industry”.

Film personalities who spoke to TNM expressed support for the demand. 

Actors Samyukta Hornad and Sruti Hariharan called for a comprehensive look at the working conditions of women — particularly non-actors in low-paying jobs — in the industry. 

“There hasn’t been a single conversation about this since the time we started working in the industry,” says actor Shruti Hariharan, who entered the field in 2012. Shruti told TNM that she had signed the letter because there is a need to investigate the working conditions of women in the Kannada film industry. 

“For viewers, the films are two hours of entertainment. But there are junior artists and daily wage workers on the sets. What is it like for women to work on sets where something as basic as a toilet is missing? How do junior artists get to the sets and back home at all kinds of ungodly hours? There’s no safe transport. Sexual harassment is one part of the overall working conditions. From toilets to contracts and sexual harassment, everything needs to be discussed,” Sruthi said.

Pointing out that actors often enjoy a certain level of privilege and independence, Samyukta Hornad said it is the behind-the-scenes workers, such as those in the hairstyling and art departments, who face the most challenges. “There’s a need for a bottom-up approach, rather than a top-down one,” Samyukta said, stressing the need to address fundamental issues such as the lack of restrooms for supporting staff. 

Samyukta also noted that harassment in the industry goes beyond physical or sexual abuse, extending to emotional mistreatment, and urged the industry to create safer, more inclusive working environments for everyone involved in production.

Film director KM Chaitanya told TNM that he signed the letter after someone brought it to his notice. “If there is such a demand (for looking into systemic issues), I think everybody should support it.” 

Actor and activist Chetan Kumar, one of the founders of FIRE, expressed hope that the state government would respond positively to the demand. “If the Kerala government can do it, we believe the Karnataka government should follow suit. We expect that the Chief Minister, along with the Women and Child Welfare Minister Lakshmi Hebbalkar, will support this,” said Chetan. 

Chetan said that it was time that Chief Minister Siddaramaiah – who often talks about his government’s commitment to the Constitution and the values of feminists such as 12th-century philosopher Basavanna and Babasaheb Ambedkar – acted on his words. “We expect the Congress party, which has made strong statements on constitutional values and human rights, to walk the walk and enact real policy change,” he said.

Chetan said that the government should appoint a judge with a track record of fighting for gender justice to look into our industry and uncover the truth. “We don’t want to wait five years. We need a report in three to four months, brought out to the public,” he said.

Sexual harassment

Chetan said that FIRE was started in 2017 to provide a safe space for women in the industry and handle sexual harassment cases sensitively. He also said that existing industry bodies such as the Kannada Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce (KFCC), the Kannada Film Producers’ Association, and Artists’ Association perpetrated a hostile environment.

“We knew the existing structures in the film industry are not equipped to handle such issues. These bodies are controlled by individuals who are patriarchal and have been in power for decades. They don’t have the sensitivity or mindset to handle sexual harassment cases,” he said.

He said that the committee set up by FIRE was modelled on the 2013 Prevention of Sexual Harassment (PoSH) Act. “The film chamber is supposed to be a mother body, but it has not properly addressed sexual harassment,” Chetan said. 

The chamber had often responded to sexual harassment insensitively, or had been outright dismissive or mocking when women came forward with complaints, Chetan said. “There's a lack of neutrality. When issues arise, they approach it with a mindset of ‘You've made a mistake, I’ve made a mistake, let’s patch things up,’ instead of addressing the underlying systemic issues.”

The Kannada film industry has a track record of silence on a range of issues, including the hounding of lyricist and music composer Hamsalekha. In some cases, however, industry bigwigs and associations have actively tried to scuttle attempts to seek justice. 

When Vijayalakshmi accused her actor husband Darshan of assaulting her in 2011 and threatening to kill their son, the film chamber brought in Ambareesh to broker a “compromise”. Vijayalakshmi eventually backed down, but she had a condition: she wanted actor Nikitha Thukral disciplined for allegedly causing trouble in her marriage with Darshan. The Kannada Film Producers’ Association complied, and banned her for three years. Nobody had a disapproving word to say to Darshan, who had allegedly assaulted Vijayalakshmi, burned her with cigarettes, and at one point held a gun to her head and tried to strangle their son. 

In October 2018, Sruthi Hariharan had accused actor Arjun Sarja of molesting her during the shooting of her film Vismaya in 2015. A month after she spoke about it, she told TNM that work opportunities had dwindled. Through the late actor Ambareesh, the film chamber had tried to get Sruthi and Arjun to “compromise” but Sruthi refused to withdraw her allegations. Arjun responded by filing a defamation suit. 

Chetan said that in the six years since it was formed, FIRE has handled three or four complaints of sexual harassment, including a “significant” incident involving a hairdresser. While some cases dealt directly with sexual harassment, others were found to stem from personal relationships gone wrong, he said. 

The #MeToo movement in 2018 brought attention to the work done by FIRE. Chetan said the organisation gained some traction when it garnered 50 signatures from the Kannada film industry against the inclusion of actor Dileep, who was accused of sexual harassment. Despite the increased awareness during the movement, FIRE struggled to gain widespread support within the industry.

Chaitanya said that while he was not aware of any specific allegations of sexual abuse against anyone, he had heard rumours that sexual abuse in the industry was widespread. “If our women colleagues feel the need for an investigation into sexual abuse in the industry, they have my complete backing.”

Sruthi said that the absence of complaints did not mean that the abuse itself was absent. “People are too scared to talk about it,” she said. Sruthi said her own complaint against actor Arjun Sarja had been a “small victory” even though the police found no evidence. “Things have changed. Maybe not significantly, but there is a change in men’s behaviour. The previous idea that ‘What will she do?’ has now been replaced by a modicum of fear. Men are rethinking their behaviour. That is a small victory.”

Several people within the film industry — including influential personalities — say it is about time that the working conditions of women in the Karnataka film industry are taken seriously and studied as a precursor to bringing about change.