The State government’s decision to constitute a committee to draft a film policy has come under criticism from various film bodies, who have accused the government of forming the committee unilaterally without consulting the stakeholders in the Malayalam film industry. The Women in Cinema Collective and the Kerala Film Chamber of Commerce have criticised the manner in which the committee was constituted. Some of those included in the committee were reportedly not consulted before their names were announced.
The 10-member committee headed by filmmaker Shaji N. Karun was constituted as per an order issued by the Culture department on July 15. The panel includes Culture department Secretary Mini Antony as the conductor, actors M. Mukesh, MLA, Manju Warrier, Padmapriya and Nikhila Vimal, filmmakers Rajeev Ravi and B. Unnikrishnan, producer Santhosh Kuruvila, and State Chalachitra Academy Secretary C. Ajoy as members.
As per the order, the committee would also look into the Hema Committee report to address issues of sexual harassment and gender inequality in the Malayalam film industry and include appropriate recommendations from it in its report. Consultations would also be done with people from across the industry. The draft film policy is to be prepared within two months.
The government has been facing criticism for not acting on the Hema Committee report submitted to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on December 31, 2019. Though the government constituted yet another panel to study the report in January 2022, following criticism, the panel is not known to have met till date or taken any action on the recommendations.
WCC’s concerns
The WCC, in a statement, said that the latest committee had been constituted without due consideration for the consent of its members. “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. We firmly believe that arbitrary committees do not offer a viable solution to the deeply entrenched issues within our workplace,” said the statement.
The WCC further said that it was 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 held the key to bringing about positive and enduring transformation, it said.
Minister’s stance
The Film Chamber said that none of the film bodies, including the Producers’ Association, Exhibitors Union and Film Distributors Association, were consulted before forming the committee.
Meanwhile Minister for Cultural Affairs Saji Cherian told presspersons on Monday that wide consultations would be done within the film industry before finalising the policy. A mega conclave would be organised for this purpose.
