'Delay in justice amounts to apathy': Actor Parvathy Thiruvothu

Interview/ Parvathy Thiruvothu, actor and member of Women in Cinema Collective

She has captivated audiences through numerous characters over a career that spans nearly two decades. Yet, in the past seven years, Parvathy Thiruvothu has taken on a new role―a relentless fighter for her fellow women in cinema. Now, amid a #MeToo movement in Malayalam cinema, Parvathy opens up about the relentless struggle she and the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC) have faced. Excerpts from an exclusive interview:

Q/ After the Hema committee report was submitted, it remained in cold storage for over four years. Do you think this delay had a damaging effect on women who were ready to speak before the committee? Were there attempts by powerful individuals to identify those who deposed?

A/ Frankly, I can’t say for certain if any powerful individuals were trying to identify those who were deposing. However, the number of women who came forward was not large, though it proved significant enough. The women who did come forward, did so only after the Hema committee ensured confidentiality. They assured that depositions would not be recorded with audio devices but would be handwritten, a more tedious process. Recounting their trauma and abuse was challenging, requiring them to reread and listen to their stories repeatedly to ensure accuracy. This process took hours and, for some, even days.

It took about one and a half years just to submit the report. During this time, the WCC consistently followed up with them, asking, “Is the report ready? Have you submitted it? Why the delay? Can we assist in any way to expedite the process?”

Q/ Were you checking in with the government or with the committee members?

A/ Both. The WCC emailed and sent letters to everyone involved, although after a point we stopped receiving responses. However, whenever we did get a reply, we were very proactive in offering our help. When the report was finally submitted in December 2019, we were thrilled. It was a historic moment. While the submission itself was significant, as we are now, we were focused on the recommendations.

[The report] was put in cold storage for four and a half years. The reason given was that it had sensitive information. Statements from the committee members, especially from actor Sarada, were particularly painful. Sarada, despite being a senior actor, made light of our situation by suggesting that women should just dress better, then we may not face issues such as sexual harassment. I believe that more survivors might have come forward and received help if the process had been handled differently.

Q/ Did you feel that the government was apathetic towards your cause?

A/ Personally, I feel a gross delay in justice always amounts to apathy. The time and effort that have gone into a study like this should be valued. We kept choosing to trust the government to do the right thing. We still are; it’s been a week since the report came out and we are still waiting to hear from the government on the next steps vis-a-vis the recommendations.

Q/ Women actors and technicians who joined the WCC faced professional repercussions for challenging powerful figures in the industry. How did you cope with the negativity and abuse directed at you?

A/ This period has been incredibly educational. There were allies in the public and the media that stood by me and my fellow WCC members. I understood what true ally-ship looks like and what it means to stay on course. The solidarity within the collective was crucial, especially when we faced challenges like losing work or being banned by employers who saw us as troublemakers. We also heard from women who were harassed on set―not only sexually, but verbally as well. They were told to be wary of us, labelled as WCC spies, and made the butt of jokes, which made their professional environment extremely uncomfortable.

These experiences have caused many women to leave the industry before they could even start their careers. Witnessing this was one of the worst things. I consider myself fortunate to have continued to get work, including outside the Malayalam industry. Nevertheless, it’s still unfair that I, too, lost opportunities. During this time, we leaned on each other for support, engaged in many conversations and learned a lot. Unfortunately, name-calling, memes and trolling had become our new normal, and took a significant toll on our mental health.

We didn’t know where any of this was going. On top of seeking justice, we had to beg and grovel for it. However, I’m proud that we have now arrived at this juncture and that we did not give up.

Q/ What was your reaction when the report was finally released?

A/ By the time the report came out, I was in a state of shock because, at that point, I had given up on it. I knew that as a collective we are not giving up. But personally, the embers of hope had completely died down. So, when the report finally came out, my first reaction wasn’t relief but anger and sadness, with thoughts about what we could have done [differently]. But, as I said, this wasn’t the case for the collective. I am so grateful for our allies in the media and the public for keeping our spirits up, too.

Q/ Do you believe the government is genuinely committed to implementing these recommendations? You said it was insensitive for the government to move forward with the idea for a film conclave.

A/ I didn’t say the idea of a conclave was insensitive. When they say they will bring everyone from the serial and film industry to a conclave and only discuss solutions, it easily gives way to many assumptions and concerns. One of the concerns would be that survivors, for the sake of solutions, would be given no choice but to share space with perpetrators. And, that can be insensitive. What I said is that in case they conduct a conclave, I hope they’re sensitive to the part that they have to protect the survivors in that process.

I was hoping that there would be more clarity in statements that were coming out from the government instead of saying that those who have a problem can go file a case; instead of saying that, ‘Oh, we will hold a conclave’.

Ideally, the next step should be a thorough study of the recommendations, followed by timely consultations with stakeholders, industry unions, and bodies like the WCC.... The issue is that we receive these vague statements with no follow-up, and we don’t want to endure another four and a half years of repeatedly asking for clarification on terms like “conclave”.