Hema Committee: WCC sets the ball rolling for a cinema code of conduct

Kochi: The Women in Cinema Collective (WCC), the platform whose petition led to the setting up of the Hema Committee, on Saturday, gave a clarion call to adopt a Cinema Code of Conduct and sought opinions and views from all.

In 2017, the WCC had a meeting with Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan seeking a probe into the Malayalam film industry, after which a three-member expert committee headed by Justice Hema (Retd) was constituted.

On Saturday, the WCC on their social media page said, "To rebuild the Malayalam film industry as an equal and safe workspace for all, we are commencing a series today with our proposed recommendations. We hope all industry members will come together in open solidarity and spirit to adopt a Cinema Code of Conduct that will help transform our film industry onscreen and offscreen for the better. Stay tuned!" read the note.

Trouble has been brewing in the Malayalam film industry ever since the August 19 release of the Justice Hema Committee report, which probed the conditions of the women working in the Malayalam film industries, and made explosive revelations, triggering a storm of complaints against top film personalities.

Kerala Police have so far registered FIRs against 11 people, ten of which are from the film industry based on the complaints from women. Those who are in the dock after the police registered FIRs, include actors Mukesh, Nivin Pauly, Siddique, Jayasurya, Edavela Babu, and Maniyanpilla Raju, directors Ranjith and V.K. Prakash, and production executives Vichu and Noble. Actor Baburaj and director Tulasidas have been named in complaints too, but no FIRs have been registered against them so far.

Meanwhile, the special investigation team of seven police officials, of which four are woman IPS officers, are currently taking statements from those victims who have come forward with their complaints but are yet to question the accused.

Soon after the shocking news surfaced that a leading actress in the Malayalam film industry was brutally raped in a moving car in Kochi, a collective of 18 women from the Malayalam film industry came together to stand by this actress.

In this case, popular actor Dileep was arrested and was in jail for nearly three months. Dileep was presently out on bail, while the main accused in the case Pulsar Suni continues to be in jail since his arrest in 2017.

On November 1, 2017, the WCC Foundation was registered as a society and has been airing voices openly both inside and outside the film industry.