In her reflections on the Hema Committee’s conclusions, actor Swara Bhasker emphasised the entrenched patriarchal standards and financial pressures in the entertainment business. She even went so far as to say how much she appreciated and supported the Women In Cinema Collective (WCC). She commended their bravery and appreciated their contribution to raising awareness of sexual harassment and violence in the profession.
After reading the Hema Committee report that revealed sexual harassment and exploitation in the Malayalam cinema business, the actor posted a long statement on Instagram expressing her “heartbreak” at what she saw.
“It has been heartbreaking to read the findings of the committee. More heartbreaking because it is familiar. Maybe not every detail and not every nitty gritty but the larger picture of what the women have testified to is all too familiar (sic),” a part of her statement read.
She also talked on how there has always been a male-centricity in the entertainment industry. “Showbiz is and always has been a male-centric industry, a patriarchal power set-up. It’s also deeply perception-sensitive and risk-averse. Every day of production – shoot days but also pre and post-production days – are days when the meter is running and money is being spent. No one likes a disruption. Even if the disruptor has raised her voice for what is ethically correct. It’s so much more convenient and financially practical to just carry on (sic),” she wrote.
The “Veere Di Wedding” actor considered the deeply embedded feudal structure of showbiz as well as the larger dynamics within the entertainment industry. She explained how a culture of silence and complicity is fostered by the industry’s hierarchical structure, which treats senior executives like demi-gods.
“Showbiz is not just patriarchal, it’s also feudal in character. Successful actors, directors and producers are elevated to the status of demi-gods and anything they do goes. If they do something unsavoury, the norm for everyone around is to look away. If someone makes too much noise and doesn’t let an issue drop, label them ‘trouble-makers’ and let them bear the brunt of their overenthusiastic conscience. Silence is the convention. Silence is appreciated. Silence is practical and silence is rewarded,” she wrote.
“The Hema Committee Report details experiences of women from the Malayalam film industry but that’s only because the horrific case of sexual assault of an actress allegedly orchestrated by superstar Dileep opened a Pandora’s box for them. And these women of the WCC and their well wishers did something unprecedented: they banded together to demand justice and equal treatment,” her note concluded.
On August 19, the 296-page Hema Committee report was eventually made available to the public. It is made up of the testimonies of numerous female industry professionals. The fact that the report occasionally refers to girls rather than women suggests that kids may have also been the targets of sexual harassment.
The culprits are not identified in the thorough report. It revealed the most sinister side of Malayalam cinema, which has a sizable global fan base.
