40 Police Complaints Over Sex Abuse in Malayalam Film Industry
Kerala Government Tells Court Investigations Ongoing
January 18, 2025
The Kerala government has informed the state’s High Court that 40 police complaints have been filed concerning sexual abuse in the Malayalam film industry since the Justice Hema Committee report was published about five months ago. Officials said they have initiated formal investigations into each complaint.
The special investigation team (SIT) initially registered 35 first information reports (FIRs), and another eight complaints were filed with the nodal officer tasked with handling sexual harassment allegations, Advocate General Gopalakrishna Kurup told the court, according to The Times of India.
Five of those new complaints resulted in additional FIRs, bringing the total to 40. The SIT’s investigation of previously registered cases is ongoing, and the Kerala government is expected to provide updates to the High Court on its progress.
The Justice Hema Committee’s findings were made public in August 2024, more than four years after it was tabled before the state government. It revealed multiple reports of abuse directed at women employed in the Malayalam film industry. It drew attention to working conditions, hiring practices and issues involving fair pay, prompting appeals for stronger regulation of the sector.
The Women in Cinema Collective (WCC) filed a petition requesting the implementation of a code of conduct for the Malayalam film industry, according to The News Minute. The Kerala Film Chamber of Commerce also moved to join the litigation. Although the WCC raised objections, the Kerala High Court allowed the Chamber of Commerce to be impleaded.
The amicus curiae, Mitha Sudhindran, has submitted a proposed draft law labeled “The Kerala Entertainment Industry (Equality and Empowerment) Act.” It proposes the creation of a Kerala Entertainment Industry Regulatory Authority (KEIRA), which would function as a centralised registry for all film and entertainment projects, addressing documentation requirements and other oversight mechanisms. It also suggests forming a Kerala Entertainment Industrial Tribunal, chaired by a retired High Court judge, to handle appeals against KEIRA’s rulings.
The court remarked on the need for an intersectional approach while examining abuses in the film industry, according to The New Indian Express. “Although we have tackled to some extent discrimination in specific areas like caste, gender, and sex, intersectionality has not been addressed in any of the legislation. That is one area in which we need to be pioneers,” the bench was quoted as saying.
The judges referred to multiple levels of discrimination that can affect a single individual based on factors such as social status, further compounding problems faced by women who seek legal remedies.
Meanwhile, filmmaker Ranjith Balakrishnan, has filed a plea in the Kerala High Court to quash a sexual harassment case lodged against him, as reported by Bar and Bench. The complaint was filed by a Bengali actress, alleging that in 2009 he called her to his apartment under the guise of discussing a film project and “inappropriately touched her with sexual intent.”
In his petition, Ranjith denied any wrongdoing. “The complaint is bogus and is made without any bonafides… the entire story is cooked up …” The plea asserted that the complaint was filed in 2024, far beyond the legal period allowed under Section 468 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. He also contended that the accusation was part of a conspiracy to remove him from the Kerala Chalachithra Academy.
Ranjith is among several Malayalam film industry figures – such as M. Mukesh, Jayasurya, Maniyanpilla Raju, Idavela Babu, and Siddique among others – facing complaints filed in the wake of the Hema Committee report.
The Hema committee report identified at least 17 forms of exploitation faced by women across 30 different roles within the Malayalam film industry. These include demands for sexual favours from women seeking entry, sexual harassment and various forms of abuse and assault.
It further said that an all-male power group of about 15 influential figures, including directors, producers and actors, was found to control the industry. The group dictates terms and determines who gets opportunities, creating an environment where women are coerced into “adjustments” or “compromises” in exchange for roles or career advancement.
It also pointed to a pervasive “culture of silence,” sustained by a “fear psychosis” instilled by powerful industry figures. Women are reluctant to disclose harassment, fearing repercussions such as being blacklisted or further victimised.
