All film industries plagued by same bug, need clean-up: Parvathy on gender bias

Mumbai, Aug 26 (PTI) All film industries are plagued by the same bug and those in them will have to do a clean-up, Malayalam star Parvathy Thiruvothu said on Monday as the findings of the Justice Hema Committee report on sexual exploitation in Malayalam cinema leads to an upheaval with more people speaking out everyday.

"When we speak up for ourselves, we stand for everyone else. We need allies," said Parvathy, who is currently promoting her Tamil film "Thangalaan" and is a member of the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC). The Kerala government had constituted the Justice Hema panel following the efforts of the WCC.

"There is a 'keeda' in all the industries and we will have to clean it up ourselves... But I do believe that things are changing now. When we speak up for ourselves, we stand for everyone else. We need allies," Parvathy said in a group interview, also attended by PTI.

The answer to facing gender discrimination in male-dominated film industry is a "lengthy" one, she added.

"The more you ask this question and engage it's great... but we just don't have enough time to answer this right now.".

The expansive and explosive Justice Hema Committee report on August 19 highlights the power nexus in the Malayalam cinema industry and exploitation faced by women employed in it.

A day after the report was published, Parvathy shared a post on her Instagram Stories thanking all those who supported the WCC in its pursuit.

"Through thick and thin you've been there. Reminding us when we may have started to doubt ourselves. Amplifying our voices when others tried to smother it! You are a huge part of this victory of truth. THANK YOU!" she wrote.

As the controversy escalated and more women spoke out, director Ranjith stepped down as head of the state-run Kerala Chalchitra Academy and actor Siddique resigned as general secretary of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA) on Sunday.

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has announced a seven-member special team to investigate the issues.

Pa Ranjith's "Thangalaan", starring Vikram in the title, will release in north Indian theatres in the Hindi version on September 6. It also features Malavika Mohanan and British actor Daniel Caltagirone. PTI