Findings of Hema Committee report more heartbreaking as they are familiar: Swara Bhasker

Actor first from Hindi film industry to speak up on what is being described as Kerala's #MeToo moment

New Delhi: Showbiz has always been a patriarchal power setup where if a woman speaks up, she is labelled as a troublemaker, said actor Swara Bhasker as the findings of the Justice Hema Committee report on sexual exploitation in the Malayalam film industry leads to an uproar with more and more people coming forward to share their experiences.

The actor, the first one from the Hindi film industry to publicly speak up on what is being described as Kerala’s #MeToo moment, shared a lengthy note on Instagram after reading the 233-page report by the government-appointed panel.

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“Are other language industries in India even talking about such things? Until we don’t face the uncomfortable truths we all know exist all around us, the brunt of existing abuses of power will continue to be borne by those who are vulnerable… It has been heartbreaking to read the findings of the committee. More heartbreaking because it is familiar. Maybe not every detail and not every nitty gritty but the larger picture of what the women have testified to is all too familiar,” she wrote.

Bhasker, known for her outspoken views on topical issues, expressed solidarity with the women who spoke up and those who belong to the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC) who demanded an expert committee from the Kerala government to examine the working conditions in their industry.

“Showbiz is and always has been a male centric industry, a patriarchal power set-up. It’s also deeply perception sensitive and risk averse. Every day of production-shoot days but also pre and post production days are days when the meter is running and money is being spent. No one likes a disruption. Even if the disruptor has raised her voice for what is ethically correct. It’s so much more convenient and financially practical to just carry on,” she wrote in the post.

Though the expansive report was released on August 19, the Kerala government-appointed panel to study issues of sexual harassment and gender inequality was constituted after the 2017 actress assault case involving actor Dileep. Silence is the convention and is appreciated, practical and rewarded in the film industry, added the 36-year-old.

“Showbiz is not just patriarchal, it’s also feudal in character. Successful actors, directors and producers are elevated to the status of demi-gods and anything they do goes. If they do something unsavoury, the norm for everyone around is to look away. If someone makes too much noise and doesn’t let an issue drop, label them ‘trouble makers’ and let them bear the brunt of their over enthusiastic conscience,” she wrote.

Bhasker, known for films such as the Tanu Weds Manu franchise, Nil Battey Sannata and Veere Di Wedding, said the prevalence of sexual harassment in showbiz around the world is “normalised” by silence.

“This happens everywhere in the world. This is how sexual harassment in showbiz is normalised and this is how a predatory atmosphere becomes ‘the way things are’. Let’s be clear, when power equations are so skewed, newcomers and other women who accept these conditions cannot be blamed for working within a framework they have not created. Accountability must always be sought from those who hold the reins of power and who create conditions where women have no choice if they want work,” she added.

The actor gave a shoutout to the members of the WCC, women who testified and those who provided solace to each other and to all those women who have suffered sexual harassment and violence in the industry. “You are heroes and you are doing the work that people in positions of greater power ought to have done already: Respect and solidarity with you!”

On Tuesday, Mohanlal, celebrated actor and president of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA), resigned alongside other top officials amid fierce backlash over some of its members facing sexual abuse allegations.

Many women actors, including a Bengali actor, have gone public with allegations of sexual harassment against some of the well-known faces of Malayalam cinema, including eminent director Ranjith and actors Siddique and Mukesh, in the wake of the report.