Chetan Kumar Calls for Hema Committee Report for Karnataka Film Industry

Kannada actor and activist Chetan Kumar demands a Hema Committee report for Karnataka to address gender-based issues in the film industry. Highlighting pervasive inequality, discrimination, and harassment, Kumar urges Karnataka's Chief Minister to commission a report similar to Kerala's investigation into the Malayalam cinema industry's mistreatment of women.

Kannada actor and activist Chetan Kumar has called for a Hema Committee report to address gender-based issues in Karnataka's film industry, similar to the one conducted in Kerala. Speaking to ANI, Kumar, the founder of FIRE (Film Industry for Rights and Equality), stressed the necessity of a comprehensive report to combat inequality, discrimination, and sexual harassment.

Chetan Kumar emphasized the pioneering role of FIRE, an organization established in 2017, focused on women's, writers', and workers' rights within the film industry. The organization was the first to set up an internal complaints committee to address sexual harassment. Since its inception, FIRE has supported MeToo survivors through various forms of assistance, including legal and emotional support.

Kumar praised the Kerala government for publishing the Hema Committee report, which revealed disturbing instances of harassment and exploitation of women in the Malayalam cinema industry. He noted that organizations like the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC) played a critical role in pushing for the report, which underscores the pervasive inequality and harassment in the industry.

Citing support from 153 industry professionals and advocates for gender equality, Kumar urged Karnataka's Chief Minister, Siddaramaiah, to consider commissioning a similar report, led by a retired judge, to ensure gender justice in the Karnataka film industry. He emphasized that timely action is crucial and expressed confidence in the Siddaramaiah administration's commitment to human and women's rights.

Last month, a redacted version of the Justice Hema Committee report on harassment in the Malayalam cinema industry was made public. The report, which highlighted the dominance of male producers, directors, and actors, exposed numerous accounts of mistreatment. The Kerala government has since formed a Special Investigation Team to address these issues.