The revealation of the Hema Committee report by the Kerala government has ignited the discussion on the need for a safe working environment for women in the film industry, as it has brought forth shocking accounts of sexual harassment faced by women in the Malayalam film industry.
Commenting on the report, playback singer Chinmayi Sripaada has said that such an extensive study will never be conducted to reveal what happens in the Tamil film industry.
Chinmayi also, reportedly, asserted that there is not a possibility of forming a woman’s body like the Women in Cinema Collective in Kollywood or the Tamil-language film industry.
Meanwhile, the singer has also, reportedly, alleged that women face harassment by a powerful lobby in the South Indian Cinema, Television Artistes and Dubbing Artists Union.
She was quoted as saying, “The cost of a union card is arbitrary and goes up to ₹1.5 lakh.
Women might be asked to go to the house of the union leader to get a card. If a woman refuses, a powerful lobby starts to work against her, as a result she will be banned.”
Besides Kollywood, Chinmayi has also made her name in Bollywood by singing songs which include “Titli” from Chennai Express, “Mast Magan” from 2 States, “Zehnaseeb” from Hasee Toh Phasee and others.
She has been vocal about instances of sexual harassment in the Tamil film industry and has in the past even detailed her alleged abuse at the hands of lyricist Vairamuthu.
During the MeToo movement, Chinmayi named Vairamuthu as her molester and also posted many anonymous messages where women accused him for his predatory behaviour.
She had also alleged that nearly 20 women have called out Vairamuthu for his sexual misconduct.
However, no action has been taken against him, while Chinmayi faced a ban for five years in the Tamil film industry.
The allegations against Vairamuthu, who is also a director, had rocked the Tamil film industry.
It has been learnt that with political patronage, he was able to rise out of the storm.
She said that Vairamuthu had used his proximity to the chief minister and his party to silence her and several others and ruined the careers of several women.
Chinmayi had even requested Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin to take action against Vairamuthu.
When Stalin had extended his support to top wrestlers in their fight for justice against WFI chief and Bharatiya Janata Party MP Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh over alleged sexual assault, Chinmayi had questioned his silence on her similar charges against noted lyricist Vairamuthu.
Chinmayi also urged the CM to constitute Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) and POCSO units to stop harassment of several women and men in Kollywood.
Even Tamil actor and producer Kutty Padmini, too, said that sexual harassment is rampant in the film industry. She revealed that, as a child, she was sexually harassed on set but was “thrown out of a Hindi film when my mom raised the issue". She also alleged that several women in the Tamil television industry have died by suicide due to the sexual harassment.
The Nadigar Sangam, a union for Tamil actors, has announced that it will form a 10-member committee within the next ten days, which will address issues of sexual harassment and that people from the Tamil film industry can come forward with their complaints.
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