A law will come into place on the basis of the recommendations of the Hema Commission, a committee constituted for addressing the problems of women in the Malayalam film industry. Minister for Culture Saji Cherian made the announcement at the closing ceremony of the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK), after the chief guest at the event, writer T Padmanabhan, raised concerns over it.
Padmanabhan, who appreciated the presence of the survivor actor at the opening ceremony, raised the issue of delay in implementing the Hema Commission recommendations, urging the government to proceed with it as soon as possible.
"If this is not done, future Kerala will not forgive you. Time is running out. You should bring to light the names of all the criminals. A government which has overcome several crises can do this too," Padmanabhan said.
The Hema Commission, formed in the aftermath of the actor assault case in Kerala, had submitted its recommendations after scores of interviews with women in the industry, several survivors among them. The report was submitted in December 2019, however, after more than two years, no further action was taken.
Padmanabhan also said that the 26th edition of the IFFK was important because it celebrated women. "I am not saying this only because quite a lot of films in the festival were made by women. But because of the presence of the survivor of the sexual assault on the stage."
He then proceeded to say, to a lot of applause, that no matter how big the criminal behind the attack is, they should be punished.
Hindi actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui was a special guest at the event. He said that this festival has a legacy for the kind of progressive films it chooses to screen.
The festival which began on March 18 screened 173 films from across the world over eight days. It ended on March 25.