In 2017, actress Bhavana Menon was abducted and allegedly sexually assaulted in a moving vehicle in Kochi as she returned from a shoot. This incident sent shockwaves through the Malayalam film industry, setting the stage for a much-belated #MeToo moment seven years later in 2024.
The assault on Bhavana led to a massive investigation that implicated top industry star Dileep. Many more actresses admitted that the industry had a deep-rooted misogyny problem. Consequently, the Kerala government formed the Justice Hema Committee to investigate these allegations.
Following a petition by the Women in Cinema Collective, the Kerala government established the Justice K. Hema Committee in 2017 to address the pressing issues faced by women in the Malayalam film industry. After two years of rigorous inquiry, the committee submitted its report in 2019. However, the findings remained undisclosed, leaving the industry and the public in suspense about the depth of the issues uncovered.
SIC allowed its partial release in 2024 under the Right to Information (RTI) Act. The 235-page report, published after redacting the names of witnesses and the accused, contained shocking accounts of harassment, exploitation, and ill-treatment of women professionals. The findings revealed that the Malayalam film industry is controlled by about 10 to 15 male producers, directors, and actors who dominate and exert control, highlighting the pervasive misogyny that many had long suspected.
