A makeup assistant working in the Malayalam film industry was arrested and released on bail based on a complaint filed by a female makeup artist. She alleged that he touched her inappropriately and took videos of her without her consent while on a film set.
The Infopark police in Kochi booked the accused, identified as Charuth Chandran, under the charges of Sections 354 (assault or criminal force to woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 354a(1)(i) (physical contact and advances involving unwelcome and explicit sexual overtures), and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Charuth was taken into custody on Wednesday, October 30, after being called for an interrogation by the special investigation team (SIT) formed to investigate cases registered in the aftermath of the release of the Hema Committee report. A local court later granted him bail on the same day.
The complainant in the case, who had earlier spoken to TNM about multiple instances of harassment she had to face on different film sets, said that she had initially approached the All Kerala Cine Makeup Artists and Hairstylists (AKCMH) union with a complaint against Charuth and another makeup artist, but was stonewalled by the union. The AKCMH is one of the 21 unions affiliated with the Film Employees Federation of Kerala (FEFKA).
“I was threatened and intimidated by the union, claiming I would lose work opportunities if I proceeded with the sexual harassment complaints. I eventually had to let them go. It was only after the Hema Committee report was released that the SIT got involved and they started to take our complaints seriously,” she told TNM.
Two other prominent makeup artists, Saji Koratty and Ratheesh Ambady, were recently booked in similar cases based on the depositions by another complainant. TNM had earlier reported on how the male monopoly in the field of film makeup has made it an increasingly unsafe space for women workers, as their jobs are often at the mercy of men who wield power over them and use it to their advantage.
After the release of the Hema Committee report, which revealed the rampant sexual harassment and power abuse in Malayalam cinema, many women in the industry had come out and publicly shared the traumatic experiences they have endured in the workplace.