'Women must speak up then and there': Khushbu Sundar

Interview/ Khushbu Sundar, actor and BJP leader

Q/ What do you have to say about the Hema committee report? Do you think that it will help women in the industry to speak up?

A/ I am happy that the Hema committee report has come out. First of all, congratulations to the seven women who stood together and decided that they should fight it out. I understand that sexual assaults have been going on in the Malayalam industry for a long time. But I haven’t experienced something like this. I feel the report will make women speak up. What is important is that women speak up immediately when subjected to abuse. You adjust and compromise because you don’t want your career to be affected and then you speak up 15 or 20 years later; I feel that is not the right thing to do.

Today, the entire executive committee of AMMA, including Mohanlal, has resigned. So there is a new leadership that is going to come up. I think that even the men are standing up in solidarity with the women. But I feel they failed in supporting a woman or protecting her. I am glad that everyone, including Mohanlal, has quit from their post. But unfortunately, it is only cinema that is in the limelight. These kind of sexual abuse or asking for favours exist in every field and industry. So we need to look back as to where we have been failing.

Q/ Do you think the report and the developments in the Malayalam film industry will give courage to women in every field to speak up?

A/ I don’t know if this is going to give them the courage. But one thing is for sure―men will be scared to approach a woman, and that is extremely important. Because they will now understand that it might hit them 15 or 20 years later, that karma is going to hit back at them.

Q/ As someone who grew up in the Tamil film industry, are you saying that such issues do not exist here?

A/ I have also been part of the Malayalam industry. It is just that I have been more actively involved in the Tamil film industry. I was introduced in Telugu cinema. But that doesn’t mean that I did not go through any of this. Somebody can try to be in your good books and silently pass a lewd comment to see how you react. But no man will hold a knife to your neck and tell you to compromise for work. They are silent operators. I am sure now women in other industries, including the Tamil industry, will start speaking up.

Q/ There were allegations during the #MeToo movement in the Tamil film industry and there are some even now.

A/ I don’t know any specific case. I read an article where a couple of women spoke on the condition of anonymity. But I cannot support that. You are making allegations against an industry that gave you everything you have today, so don’t speak on condition of anonymity. Come out and speak; don’t hide.

Q/ It is said that women who speak up lose out on work opportunities.

A/ All the women [from the Women in Cinema Collective] have done some brilliant work. One of them won the best actor award from the Kerala government. Rima [Kallingal] has been working, Parvathy has been working. All these are the most talented bunch of actors in the Malayalam film industry. And, no producer is a fool to invest crores of money just because you get sexual favours. We need to understand that. If you are successful, if you are talented, you don’t even have to compromise. Why do you compromise?

Q/ What are your takeaways from the report?

A/ I haven’t read the entire report. But we need a system in the industry to build trust among the women workers. We definitely need a separate body where women can file complaints and an inquiry is called. Most importantly, I want women to speak up then and there. Nothing can be more important than your dignity and your respect. Your career and everything else can wait.

Q/ You have been a member of the National Commission for Women. Did anyone from the industry approach you with complaints?

A/ No, not even anonymous complaints.

Q/ What do you think will happen now that the report is out?

A/ This will go off. It came up only because of the women who fought consistently. What happened to #MeToo? People are going to forget. But here, I feel we should have a logical solution. I have been part of a committee that works on such issues and complaints. Merely an accusation cannot be a complaint. We need to have a proper investigation officer, because we have seen that many a time the complaints are used to settle personal scores. So, we need to have the support of the investigating agencies, the men in the industry and from everyone around.