A lot of men in Malayalam cinema are of the opinion that sexual harassment existed in the film industry only as much as it did in any other field of work, and there was no need to blow it out of proportion. At least this was what they told the Hema Committee, constituted by the Kerala government in 2017 to look into the issues faced by women in the film industry. A redacted version of the Committee’s findings was released on Monday, August 19, after years of delay.
The men’s claim went against the statements made by many women, about there being a “striking difference between sexual harassment in cinema and other fields.” For a woman in cinema, even offers for work were accompanied with demands for sexual favours, words like ‘adjustments’ and ‘compromise’ thrown at her long before the shooting began.
The report clarified that there are some men with whom women find it very safe to work. A certain cinematographer and a famous director are mentioned (no one is named) by some as ensuring the comfort of women and taking good care of others in the set. This director is also sensitive when physically intimate scenes are shot with women, a witness said. Some women said there are a few men in different areas of work, who are “understanding, friendly, and helpful to women.”
While there are men empathetic towards their female colleagues, many women spoke of a number of others – including well-known and reputed persons – who sexually harassed them. A majority of men in cinema think that women who are willing to enact intimate scenes will also be willing to do the same off-set, revealed some of those who deposed before the Committee. “Therefore, men in the industry make open demands for sex, without any embarrassment,” the report said.
Some men made a claim to the Committee that women have such experiences (demand for sex) only from certain persons who advertise fake casting calls and auditions. According to these men, “women must be careful in not falling for such fake advertisements but, it will not be correct to say that the entire film industry is bad.”
What the Committee found more surprising was the revelation that men, including some very prominent artists, have sometimes been unofficially banned in cinema by a powerful few for various reasons, ranging from downright silly to opposing stands taken by them. This, the Committee says, was stated by more men than women in cinema. To quote the report: “They would have knowingly or unknowingly invited the wrath of one or other person from the powerful lobby in the industry, which rules the industry. Therefore, men generally were hesitant /scared to speak against the industry, fearing that any leaking of the information given by them will adversely affect their future chances in cinema.”
The Committee also noted that men appear to not understand basic needs of women since the industry has always been male-dominated. While women raised the non-availability of changing rooms and toilets in sets as a major issue, some of the men brushed it off as a non-issue. A prominent male actor commented that women had been working in such conditions for years without any complaints, adjusting to situations, using toilets of nearby houses or drawing cloth lines to change. He appeared to think that it was only a question of adjustment by women and there was no need to to take the issue seriously.
As per the report, many men who spoke to the Committee also could not understand why the women would not just go to the police if the situation was so bad. Here, the Committee went on to explain basic facts, known to all, of how women do not ordinarily rush to the police in cases of sexual harassment for various reasons, adding that even the men who asked this question would know that women in their own families would behave the same way. What the men said, the report noted, is totally unconnected from reality.
The Committee also found that the reason for the low participation of women in cinema, especially in the technical side, is the perception of men that women cannot be good technicians. Many men, the report said, “find it difficult to take orders from superior women and find it difficult to accept suggestions put forth by subordinate women because most men are not used to it. They are not exposed to an alternative situation. Many men have been socialised into believing that decision makers are always men.”
