Ensuring workplace safety for women in cinema was the biggest demand raised by the delegates at the film policy conclave in Kerala, said Minister for Cultural Affairs Saji Cherian while presenting a report of the discussions of the first day. Organised over the weekend on August 2 and 3, the conclave, attended by a number of film bodies and individuals associated with Malayalam cinema, will take suggestions to formulate a film policy for the state.
The need for a policy in the film industry was brought to light after the Hema Committee Report in 2019. The Committee had spoken to stakeholders and studied the issues of the industry.
Topics discussed on Day 1
Hundreds of delegates took part in five panel discussions on the first day of the conclave, followed by an open forum for everyone to raise their concerns and demands.
Gender equality and workplace safety for women were raised as important points of discussion. It was demanded that better functioning internal complaints committees should be constituted on film sets, along with a clear definition of the workplace and legal mechanisms for the protection of all genders. Maternity benefits, creche on the sets for children, and safe accommodation for women were some of the points raised.
Another suggestion was regarding working hours. It was said that the hours should be in accordance with labour laws. Many also raised the importance of job security in a field that is exceedingly partial to a few high-earning members leading the films, while a number of low-paid artistes and technicians do not have any guarantee of work for months at a stretch.
The importance of contract agreements, a significant issue mentioned in the Hema Committee report, was also raised. During the discussion, members of the Film Employees Federation of Kerala denied that there were contract violations. Payment issues should also be addressed, many said, pointing out that sometimes, pay is delayed even after a film is completed.
Other topics concerned film theatre spaces, number of days a film should run in theatres before being released on OTT platforms, usage of new age technologies, and film titles. Government support for independent cinema was also among the requests made by delegates. A jury to select films for festivals and an e-ticketing system too would help, they said.
The need to elevate Malayalam cinema as a creative industry was raised by artistes and technicians alike, while those working in television said that a policy for serials too should be incorporated.
The state should work with the Union government in correcting the approach of the censor board, it was suggested. The demand comes in the light of a flurry of interventions by the Central Board of Film Certification in the content and even the title of films that are perceived as ‘anti-Hindutva’.
Minister Saji Cherian said that when the government planned the conclave, it had not expected so many suggestions and instructions. “We need to address the crisis that Malayalam cinema is facing. All the papers presented here will be put on a government website after the conclave, to invite the public too in the formulation of the policy. The film policy will be released two months after the conclave, incorporating all the possible suggestions,” he said.