Draft law to protect women from sexual harassment in Mollywood ready, says Kerala minister

By Express News Service

KOCHI: The draft legislation aimed at protecting women against sexual harassment in the Malayalam film industry is ready, Culture Minister Saji Cherian said on Friday.

The minister was speaking during the inaugural ceremony of the Regional International Film Festival of Kerala (RIFFK) at Sarita Theatre in Kochi. The draft law, which was prepared based on the Adoor Gopalakrishnan and Hema Committee reports, would be released within a month after completing the due legal process, he later told reporters on the sidelines of the RIFFK.

“The state government has the responsibility to protect women in the Malayalam film industry from sexual harassment and it has taken this responsibility seriously. The draft legislation points towards this fact,” said Cherian. According to the minister, once the draft is ready, it will be submitted before the Law Department for vetting.

According to Cherian, both the Hema Commission and Adoor Gopalakrishnan reports are based on various statements and suggestions made by experts besides the stakeholders. Last month, the minister had said that changes need to be implemented from top to bottom of the film industry and awareness needs to be created about the fact that men and women are equal.

Headed by retired judge K Hema, the committee was formed on July 1, 2017, by Kerala’s Department of Cultural Affairs in the aftermath of the actor abduction and sexual assault incident. It aimed to study gender disparity, sexual harassment, and other such issues faced by women in the Malayalam film industry. Many women testified before the commission describing their traumatic experiences. A report was subsequently submitted to the government on December 31, 2019. Another committee headed by filmmaker Adoor Gopalakrishnan too had recommended sweeping reforms in the Malayalam film industry.

Meanwhile, the Regional International Film Festival of Kerala, Kochi, began on Friday. The festival was inaugurated by actor Mohanlal. The festival films will be screened at five theatres in the city. Though 173 films were screened at IFFK Thiruvananthapuram, only a select 73 will be showcased at the RIFFK in Kochi. ‘Rehana’, a joint venture of Bangladesh, Singapore, and Qatar, was screened on Friday, the opening day. Films ‘Clara Sola’ that won the Suvarna Chakoram and Kuzhal, which bagged three awards besides gaining viewers’ appreciation, and ‘Cameela Comes Out Tonight’ that won the director a Rajata Chakoram are some of the notable films being screened at RIFFK, Kochi.