“If those accused are proven guilty during the investigation, there should be exemplary punishment. Only then can we put an end to this,” actor-director Prithviraj said in a press conference on August 26, Monday, while speaking on the Hema Committee report that brought to light the rampant sexual harassment faced by women in the Malayalam film industry. “If allegations have been made, they need to be followed up with thorough investigations. In case the allegation turns out to be false, then too there should be according punishment,” he said.
“Either way, these allegations need to be treated with utmost seriousness. I truly hope this is the beginning of a process that will clear up all the murk currently in front of us,” he said.
When asked for his thoughts on whether the names of the perpetrators cited in the Hema Committee report should be revealed, Prithviraj said, “The law only states that the victims’ identity should be protected. There is no legal complication to release the names of the accused. So it is up to the government whether to reveal their names. That decision should be taken by those in power.”
Prithviraj also said he had no reason to be “shocked” by the report, since he was one of the first people from the industry to meet with the Hema Committee. “The committee was formed to conduct a comprehensive study on the problems faced by women in the industry, and to figure out how to create a safe workplace for them. If the Committee has found people who have committed crimes, I am eager to know what measures will now be taken,” he said.
He also admitted that there were lapses on the part of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA) while dealing with complaints of sexual harassment. There should be strong interventions and actions from the organisation, he said. He added that if allegations are raised against people in prominent positions, the proper thing to do was step away from the post and welcome the investigation. “I believe that we should not be facing a probe while we are wielding a position of power,” he said.
The actor-director further said there was only one promise he could make. “I would ensure that my immediate workspaces, which are under my control or are centred around me, are safe environments.”
But he realised this wasn’t enough, he added. “Our responsibilities don’t end at the claim that ‘I am not involved in all this.’ Your (media’s) responsibilities also do not end in finding a primetime headline or a clickbait title for today. Both of us should be equally invested in this issue,” he said.
On the Committee’s finding that there was a “power lobby” that controlled the Malayalam film industry, Prithviraj said, “Even if I say that such a ‘power authority’ hasn’t acted against me, I still cannot claim that such a group doesn’t exist. I have never had to face this group, I haven’t been affected by them. But if there are people who were impacted by them in Malayalam cinema today, then their grievances must be heard. If there is such a body here, it should perish. But if I have to assert that such a power lobby exists, I should have experienced it directly, which has not happened.”
When asked about the ‘bans’ in Malayalam cinema, including that of the members of the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC) who were allegedly treated as outcasts after they spoke up against the systemic gender injustices in the industry, Prithviraj said he wanted all organisations in cinema and otherwise to function in an inclusive manner.
After a reporter cited actor and WCC founding member Parvathy Thiruvoth as an example for people who have faced such bans, he said, “Even before Parvathy, you have me as an example. This had happened to me because I took a stand once. But it is wrong to call it a ‘ban’. Everyone has the right to ‘boycott’. But when this boycott comes from people in authoritarian positions, it often turns into a ban. If this is happening still, and there are groups denying opportunities for someone, that should be addressed. Action should be taken, because no one has the right to do that.”
He also said that he believed every organisation should have female representation in their leadership. “AMMA has no exclusivity there. There too, women should become leaders.”
On the Kerala High Court directive that film production units were obliged to form Internal Committees (ICs) as mandated by the Prevention of Sexual Harassment (PoSH) at Workplace Act, he reiterated that his responsibility did not end with a statement that there was an IC on his own set. “I know exactly who were the members of the IC on the set of Guruvayoor Ambala Nadayil (his latest film) and who formed it. But that’s not enough. If there is a directive that ICs have to be constituted on film sets, there should be a system here to ensure that such a committee is there on every set,” he said.
He also said that if the Kerala government was planning a cinema conclave, he hoped it would help resolve the issues in the film industry.
Ending the press meet on a theatrical note, he added, “Indian cinema’s history will note that such a course correction first happened in the Malayalam cinema. History will remind you that this first happened in the field of cinema. Let’s not forget that.”
Watch actor Parvathy speak to Dhanya Rajendran on the Hema Committee report: