Have lost faith in Hema Committee report, says Bhagyalakshmi

Dubbing artist Bhagyalakshmi criticizes K. Hema Committee for focusing on sexual abuse complaints in Malayalam cinema.

Dubbing artiste Bhagyalakshmi on September 3 (Tuesday) said that she had lost faith in the K. Hema Committee that probed issues faced by women in Malayalam cinema as its main focus was on complaints of sexual abuse.

She alleged that the committee had only heard a few women in the industry, though the Film Employees Federation of Kerala (FEFKA) had given a list of 18 women working across various departments.

“Only four of us were invited. We have lost faith as the media is now focusing only on the sexual harassment angle in the report, while there were so many other pressing issues facing women that include lack of proper washroom facilities and quality food,” she said.

She asked why the former Kerala High Court judge, who led the panel, had failed to initiate the required legal measures after taking cognisance of depositions made by women who had faced sexual harassment. She demanded a probe into allegations of drug abuse in the industry, including an allegation made by a Tamil playback singer against actor Rima Kallingal. The allegations by actor Radhika Sarathkumar that she had seen a group of men on a Malayalam film set watching nude videos of female actors that they had recorded with a hidden camera inside her vanity van should also be investigated, she said.

Ms. Bhagyalakshmi denied allegations by a hair stylist that she and FEFKA general secretary B. Unnikrishnan had shouted at her for speaking up against the denial of opportunities to her.