Leading women actors, producers, and directors within the Telugu film industry are calling on the Telangana government to release a two-year-old report on sexual harassment in the industry, advocating for it as a crucial first step towards ensuring a safe working environment. This push comes amid growing concerns about the industry’s treatment of women and the need for transparent policies to address these issues.
The Movie Artistes Association and the Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce are reportedly in discussions on how to tackle the pervasive issue of harassment within the industry. The call for action was highlighted when The Voice of Women (VoW), a support group for women in the Telugu film industry, issued a statement on August 30. The statement drew parallels to the 235-page Hema Committee report that exposed sexual exploitation in the Malayalam cinema industry and was made public on August 19. This report has resulted in a significant impact, with several actresses coming forward to share their experiences.
The statement by VoW gained additional traction on social media when shared by actor Samantha Ruth Prabhu, among others. “We welcome the Hema Committee report and applaud the persistent efforts of the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC) in Kerala, which has paved the way to this critical moment. Taking inspiration from the WCC, VoW was created in 2019. We hereby urge the Telangana government to publish the submitted sub-committee report on sexual harassment, which can help frame government and industry policies to establish a safe working environment for women in the Telugu film industry,” the statement said.
The push for the report’s publication stems from a history of allegations and investigations into harassment within the industry. A similar study was conducted in the Telugu film industry following allegations by actor Sri Reddy in 2018 and the #MeToo movement. Despite the report being submitted to the Telangana government in June 2022, it remains unpublished.
In 2018, Sri Reddy’s allegations of sexual harassment and her protest outside the Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce brought the issue to the spotlight. Her allegations triggered a significant response, leading to her being shamed and banned by the Movie Artistes Association. However, her actions opened a broader conversation about the rampant sexual harassment in the industry, making it a challenge too significant to ignore, thus leading to the formation of VoW.
VoW was established as a support group with prominent women producers, directors, and actors, aiming to combat the systemic issues. Actor Jhansi, a founding member of VoW, notes that the group did not arise from a government mandate but as a collective force for women across cinema, television, theatre, and media. “We had to do this because even today, no film union has taken the initiative to make the workplace safe for women,” she said.
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The road to establishing safe working conditions has been fraught with challenges. Producers like Supriya Yarlagadda, Swapna Dutt, C. Kalyan, Damodar Prasad, and director Nandini Reddy have been actively engaging in discussions since 2018 but found that more concrete actions were required. VoW members initiated dialogues with production houses and unions to set up Internal Complaints Committees, bringing additional focus on the necessity for these measures.
A public interest litigation filed by the Telangana Women’s Organisation joint action committee led the State government to establish a high-level committee (HLC) under the Department of Cinematography. This committee, involving the Labour, Human Rights, and Women and Child Welfare departments, along with the State police, further evolved into a sub-committee with civil rights societies and voluntary organizations.
A. Suneetha, an independent researcher and member of the All India Feminist Alliance who was part of the HLC sub-committee, described the extensive process that took place. “Interviews and sessions were conducted between July 2019 and March 2020, and again in 2021. A report was then finalized and submitted on June 1, 2022, to the then-Chief Secretary, Somesh Kumar,” she said. The process included discussions with various film industry unions and seeks to address critical issues such as gatekeeping and exploitation via registration fees and entry barriers.
Jhansi explained that the unions, meant to be welfare bodies, often act as gatekeepers, demanding hefty registration fees for which no receipts are provided. This creates vulnerabilities, making it difficult for female employees like makeup artists to obtain necessary union cards. Pay disparities and inadequate provisions for basic facilities also persist, further highlighting the need for systematic change.
Although the initial push faced resistance, with union heads and production houses reluctant to acknowledge the issues, continued efforts have created a pathway toward solutions. The Hema Committee’s success in Malayalam cinema, where prominent actresses came forward, contrasts with the hesitation seen in the Telugu industry due to fear of professional setbacks.
In conclusion, women in Telugu cinema, led by VoW, are advocating for the publication of the 2022 report by the Telangana government. They believe that releasing the report will help establish guidelines for a safer and more equitable working environment, breaking the silence and paving the way for long-needed reforms.
