Malayalam superstar and President of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists, Mohanlal, has resigned following criticisms against the body over the Hema committee report. The entire 17-member committee resigned on Tuesday.
In a statement issued by the organisation, it said the committee will continue until a new team takes over. The general body meeting will be conducted in two months to elect a new committee, it said. The move comes after two of the executive committee members faced sexual assault charges following the release of the committee report. The association also faced criticism for delayed public response after the release of the report.
On Monday, actor Prithviraj categorically said the actors’ body had failed to properly handle actor’s complaints from its members.
Actor Siddique had to step down as general secretary after sexual assault allegations against him by Revathi Sampath following release of the Hema committee report. Actor Baburaj, who took over as acting general secretary is also facing sexual assault charges, however, he denied it.
The new committee led by Mohanlal was elected less than two months ago. Mohanlal has reportedly informed the decision to Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.
Justice K. Hema Committee report, which studied issues faced by women in the Malayalam film industry, was released on August 19. The report revealed that women face extreme discrimination in the Malayalam movie industry. The commission reportedly found that women in the industry are forced to make certain compromises, suggesting the existence of a casting couch. It also suggested that those working in the film industry should not impose any ban on others in the industry.
The commission, headed by retired justice K. Hema, handed over the 233-page report to the state government on December 31, 2019. The committee was formed to study in detail the problems faced by women in Mollywood, including sexual harassment and gender inequality, in the wake of the assault of an actor allegedly orchestrated by actor Dileep.