Celebrated singer Chinmayi Sripaada, a prominent figure in the “MeToo” movement in India, has voiced her hope that the Hema Committee Report’s revealing of the dark underbelly of Kerala’s film industry will inspire more women survivors of sexual violence to come forward and report their experiences. “Siddique and Ranjith, who have resigned, are not the only two individuals in the Kerala film industry facing allegations of sexual offenses,” she shared in an exclusive interview with NDTV.
The Justice Hema Committee’s report, detailing the sordid nature of sexual abuse, systemic harassment, and a “criminal nexus” within Mollywood, has unleashed a Pandora’s box of additional complaints against senior artists and directors.
Shortly after the details of their misconduct were made public, director Ranjith Balakrishnan and actor Siddique resigned from their positions at the Kerala Chalachitra Academy and the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA), respectively.
On Monday, a junior artiste within the Malayalam film industry came forward with allegations of rape against award-winning actor and director Baburaj. Baburaj, who serves as the Joint Secretary of the Association of Malayalam Movie Actors, or AMMA, has vehemently denied the accusations.
Chinmayi shed light on the challenges survivors encounter when seeking justice, including the loss of livelihood and the difficulties in proving sexual offenses. She emphasized the importance of a swift and sensitive justice system, drawing from her personal experience of being banned from dubbing and facing a significant setback in her singing career after allegations of sexual misconduct were leveled against lyricist Vairamuthu and actor Radha Ravi.
She mentioned that the system presents significant challenges for survivors when it comes to filing police complaints, drawing from her own harrowing experience of being molested several years ago. She highlighted the taboo associated with police stations at that time and the lengthy trial process she endured. She commended the actors from Kerala who have bravely spoken out against sexual abuse and expressed her hope that others in various industries would also take a stand.
Regarding the reluctance of women to report crimes to the police, she explained, “A lot of it comes down to circumstantial evidence. Even something as simple as bruises can heal in just a few days.” “We need a legal system that’s both swift and sensitive from the start. We can’t always rely on bodycams. Crimes like sexual assault can occur very quickly,” she added. The ICC system was introduced to speed up the process, but it hasn’t been successful, she noted, highlighting that “there were high expectations for the National Commission for Women.”
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