Malayalam film industry criticises Kerala govt’s panel on film policy

The Kerala government’s decision to form a committee headed by veteran director Shaji N Karun to draft a film policy in the state has been questioned by several people and organisations who are part of the film industry. The Women in Cinema Collective (WCC) was the first to raise objections and said that the committee had been constituted without due consideration or the consent of its members. WCC also asked if the report prepared by the Hema Committee on gender bias and sexual harassment in the Malayalam film industry be taken up.

“We are deeply concerned about the inclusion of individuals who lack the basic qualifications to be part of this significant undertaking. Furthermore, the role and status of this committee remain unclear, leaving us uncertain about its potential impact. Will it be a statutory body? And will its recommendations, like those of the Hema Committee report, be left to languish, gathering dust without meaningful implementation? This approach seems to indicate a troubling disregard for a genuinely urgent concern that has been raised repeatedly,” the WCC said.

The committee also includes Kollam MLA M Mukesh, actors Padmapriya, Manju Warrier and Nikhila Vimal, directors Rajeev Ravi and B Unnikrishnan, producer Santosh Kuruvilla and Kerala State Chalachitra Academy secretary C Ajoy. Rajeev Ravi told Asianet News that he was not consulted before he was made part of the committee.

The Kerala Film Chamber of Commerce has also opposed the committee saying that they were not informed about it. “Other trade bodies like Producers Council, Film Distributors Association and exhibitors were not consulted. How can a film policy be drafted without consulting all these people?,” producer G Suresh Kumar who heads the Film Chamber of Commerce said.

The Kerala government in its order constituting the committee said that the recommendations for a film policy has to be submitted within two months after consulting different stakeholders and studying the recommendations of the Hema Committee report. The Hema Committee submitted its report to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in December 2019. After burying the report for two years, the government came under severe criticism, and instituted a panel in January 2022 to study the report. That panel too has not acted on the recommendations of the Hema Committee report.

The WCC that has been fighting for the Hema Committee report to be made public has said that it is concerned that the government has set up yet another committee.

“We firmly believe that arbitrary committees do not offer a viable solution to the deeply entrenched issues within our workplace. Instead, it is imperative to focus on enforcing existing laws and regulations while fostering genuine interest in cultivating an equitable space for all. Creating a committee that is representative, qualified, and empowered holds the key to bringing about positive and enduring transformation. Only then can we endeavour to create a workspace that is truly equitable for all its participants,” the WCC said.