The Justice Hema Committee Report, which examines the working conditions of women in the Malayalam film industry, has been released to journalists who requested copies.
The report reveals troubling issues, including claims that women in cinema are pressured to make “compromises” and “adjustments,” terms that implicitly suggest being available for sex on demand. According to the report, this harassment begins early in the process. Witnesses stated that when a production controller or other industry figures offer roles, they may require women to agree to these compromises. If a woman seeks a role, she is similarly pressured to make these adjustments.
The release of the report comes after the Kerala High Court declined to entertain an appeal by actress Ranjini, who challenged an August 13 order from a single judge that allowed the report’s release.
The Bench, consisting of Acting Chief Justice A. Muhamed Mustaque and Justice S. Manu, instructed Ranjini to file a writ petition rather than an appeal. The Court clarified that an appeal was not appropriate because Ranjini was not a party to the original case, which was decided in personem (against a specific individual) rather than in rem (on broader legal issues).
Following the Court’s direction, Ranjini’s lawyer filed a writ petition, which was mentioned before Justice V.G. Arun this afternoon. Advocate Renjith B. Marar, representing Ranjini, requested a stay on the report’s release. However, the single judge initially indicated that the matter could not be heard until the petition was formally numbered.
Without a stay order, the report was distributed to requesting parties at 2:30 PM. The writ petition was subsequently numbered and taken up again by the single judge, who then adjourned the matter to August 27 after being informed that the report had already been released.
The Justice K. Hema Committee was established by the Kerala government in 2017, following a petition from the ‘Women in Cinema Collective,’ to investigate issues faced by women in the film industry. Ranjini was among those who provided statements to the committee, which submitted its report in 2019.
The State Information Commission (SIC) later allowed a request under the Right to Information Act (RTI Act) for the public release of portions of the report, with personal information redacted. Film producer Sajimon Parayil challenged this decision in the Kerala High Court, but Justice V.G. Arun dismissed his petition on August 13.
Ranjini then appealed this decision, raising concerns about potential violations of her privacy due to the report’s release, given that the redaction of sensitive information was at the discretion of an Information Officer. She argued that she had been assured of confidentiality and expected to be notified and heard before any information related to her was made public.
Despite her appeal, the Court determined that it was not a suitable challenge and the report was released.
