The release of the Justice Hema Committee report, which investigated the challenges faced by women in the Malayalam film industry, has caused a major stir in Kerala. The report strongly highlights the severe discrimination and exploitation that female actors encounter within the industry. From the prevalence of the casting couch and the lack of basic amenities on film sets to wage disparities and ostracism for refusing to comply with the demands of abusers, the report has laid bare the industry's darker side. This three-member committee, led by former Kerala High Court judge K Hema, with veteran actor T Sarada and retired IAS officer KB Valsalakumari as members, was formed by the Kerala government in July 2017. This was in response to the sexual assault of a well-known actor in a moving vehicle earlier that year in February.
In addition to exploring the experiences of actors and technicians, the panel also investigated the plight of junior artistes, who are classified as unorganised workers since they are not recognised as either artistes or technicians. As a result, they are not members of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes (AMMA) or the Film Employees Federation of Kerala (FEFKA).
During its inquiry, the committee found that junior artistes face highly concerning issues in the Malayalam film industry and are "treated worse than slaves on certain sets." The report explicitly states that this group is often deprived of basic amenities, such as toilets, on sets, even though they are required to be present for up to 19 hours on some days. One junior artiste informed the panel that during a shoot on a large open ground, they were forced to stand under the scorching sun for an extended period without any provision for shade, while the lead artistes were at least provided with umbrellas. "The junior artistes who were all made to stand in the hot sun were not even given anything to eat or drink on many sets," the report noted.
Further highlighting the inhumane treatment they endure, the report mentions that although only 100 people are needed for a shoot, thousands of junior artistes are summoned to the set. From this large pool, the production team selects those they find suitable, and only these individuals receive food coupons. The others, required to stay on set, are rarely given food or water and are not provided any place to sit. One person recounted how a junior artiste with a heart condition was dismissed from a set simply because she sat down after becoming exhausted from standing in the sun for too long. "Women come for cinema shooting as junior artistes only because of their very bad financial position," the report stated. The report also stresses that junior artistes are seldom paid on time. "The junior artiste would have to meet the producer or the person who has engaged them for the work repeatedly and they have to beg for the money which they owe to the artiste." The committee also uncovered that middlemen or coordinators take a significant portion of the wages meant for each person.
Another disturbing finding in the report is that many individuals in the industry exploit women for sexual favours. "The girls who are called for working as junior artistes are told that they would be given a chance in the cinema if they comply with the demands for s*x." The report further states, "WhatsApp groups are created by certain coordinators or managers with both men and women as members and thereby give them the opportunity to contact each other and they get acquainted. Their acquaintance leads to undesirable results and even ends up in the flesh trade." The committee also found that many fraudulent junior artiste coordinators in the industry exploit women.
The panel also identified many fake junior artiste coordinators within the industry exploiting women. Additionally, the committee revealed that many production teams abandon junior artistes after late-night shoots, providing neither accommodation nor transport. "The women will have to go home all alone, and there were occasions where they had to sleep even in the railway stations for safety."
The report also highlighted the disregard for the safety and well-being of junior artistes who sustain injuries while working. "One of the witnesses stated that while shooting was going on for a high-budget movie recently, in which very famous artistes were working, a 70-year-old woman got burn injuries when hot oil happened to spill over her body. Even though she was taken to the hospital by the production team, no amount was paid for her treatment," the report adds. The same neglect was observed in the case of another individual who fractured his leg on the same set. The report also notes that junior artistes often work without a defined time limit and are not compensated for overtime work.