Interview| We Want to Work Towards Safe and Equal Spaces for Women in the Malayalam Film Industry: Revathi:
In light of the Hema Committee report on the Malayalam film industry, actor and director Revathi discusses industry changes in an interview with Frontline. She speaks about the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC), an organisation she co-founded in 2017. The WCC aims to address longstanding issues within the film sector.
Silencing Women Who Wish to Speak Against Abusers Normalised in Movie Industry: Sreelekha Mitra
Sreelekha Mitra says the Indian film industry has witnessed a #MeToo movement. | Photo Credit: Jayanta Shaw Renowned Bengali actor Sreelekha Mitra has long been an outspoken critic of the alleged misogyny and patriarchal attitude prevalent in the Indian film industry. The star of such hits such as Hothat Brishti (1998),
‘It Cannot Get Dirtier, It Can Only Get Cleaner’: Bina Paul on Outcome of Hema Committee Report
The Justice Hema Committee report released in August shed light on the widespread and persistent nature of sexual harassment in the Malayalam film industry. The report’s revelations have sparked a host of reactions, dividing both the industry and the society at large. The Women in Cinema Collective (WCC), a group
It’s All About Power and the Entitlement To Misuse It: Actor Sreelekha Mitra
WATCH | Suhrid Sankar Chattopadhyay in conversation with actor Sreelekha Mitra Actor speaks about rampant sexual harassment in Indian cinema, its normalisation across regional industries, and her personal encounters with abuse. | Video Credit: Interview: Suhrid Sankar Chattopadhyay; Camera: Jayanta Shaw; Editing: Samson Ronald K.; Supervising Producer: Jinoy Jose P.
How the Women in Cinema Collective Introduced a New Wave of Feminism in Kerala
One of the most remarkable things about Kerala in the 21st century is the recurrence of feminist revolts that are sometimes without a feminist. No, I do not mean state feminism. State feminism in Kerala, at least from the 1990s, has by now had three major effects. First, it
Editor’s Note | Vaishna Roy Writes: Hema Committee Report a Defining Moment in India’s Mass Feminist Awakening
Writing in this issue of Frontline, the feminist scholar J. Devika says: “Malayalam cinema has been historically structured by feudal funding and practices, and women artistes were inevitably taken to be sexually available to the big male names.” This is true not just of Malayalam cinema but of every film industry across
Kannada and Tamil Cinema Face Their Demons; But Can They Exorcise Them?
Sujata V, 51, is a psychotherapist based in the US. In the early 1990s, she went by the screen name of Soumya, a teenager who acted in one Tamil and three Malayalam films, Poochakkaru Mani Kettum, Advaitham, and Neelakurukkan. In September 2024, 32 years after she left the industry, she
Hema Committee Report: A Golden Opportunity to Create Safe Workplaces for Women in All Film Industries
The Hema Committee report has caused a whirlwind in Malayalam cinema and society, but if the report is to bring about lasting change, it must be seen as something more than an exposé on the industry. One must look at the report as an opportunity to create conditions that will
The Keeper of Desolation: A Hindi Story in Translation
This story is from a time that no longer exists. The traditional methods of thievery have given way to approaches that are more dangerous and lethal. Thieves no longer drill holes through walls to steal—only the memories of such activities remain. Pickpockets no longer need any tools; the teeming crowd
Kashmiri Shawl Weavers: Unsung Heroes of Art, Rebellion, and Cultural Heritage
In the annals of Kashmir’s tumultuous history, the Zaldagar agitation of 1865 is a watershed moment. On April 29, 1865, the community of Shawlbafs (traditional weavers of the famed Kashmiri shawl) hit the streets of Zaldagar in Srinagar in a peaceful protest against the high taxes levied upon them by