• Source:JND
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Amid a surfeit of sexual assault allegations against bigwigs of the Malayalam film industry, the Kerala High Court on Thursday constituted a special bench to hear cases related to the Hema Committee report, which highlighted the sorry situation of female actors in Mollywood. The bench will have a lady judge as its member.

A division bench comprising Justices A Muhamed Mustaque and S Manu passed the order in this regard while considering a petition filed by producer Sajimon Parayil challenging the release of the Hema Committee report, Live Law reported.

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The High Court has also ordered the Kerala Government to submit the full version of the Hema Committee report before it. The PIL related to the case will be considered by the HC on September 10, after going through the comprehensive report. It is likely to be submitted in the court before September 9. The bench consisting of Acting Chief Justice A. Muhammad Mushtaq and Justice S. Manu had directed that the full report be submitted in a sealed cover.

The Hema Committee, established by the Government in 2017, was employed to examine the challenges faced by female actors in the Malayalam film industry. The report, released on August 19, 2024, highlighted various issues encountered by women, such as sexual demands, harassment, gender discrimination, unsafe work environments, inadequate basic amenities and wage inequality.

The report highlighted that the terms "compromise" and "adjustment" are commonly understood among women in the Malayalam film industry, implying that women are expected to be available for sex on demand.

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The Kerala Government formed an SIT to probe the findings of the report and bring the culprits to justice. In the backdrop of the outrage amid assault allegations by several actors, the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA) was dissolved. The executive committee of AMMA, along with its chief Mohanlal, submitted its joint resignation.