Kochi, April 2 (IANS) A strongly worded statement by the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC) on Thursday has brought the spotlight back on alleged systemic lapses in ensuring workplace safety in the Malayalam film industry, even as police intensified their probe into the sexual assault case against director Ranjith.
Calling the latest allegation by a young actress “deeply distressing,” the WCC said the incident exposed the ineffectiveness of mandated institutional mechanisms on the ground.
Despite directives from the Kerala High Court and the introduction of a new cinema policy, the collective questioned why Internal Committees (ICs), meant to address workplace harassment under the POSH Act, failed to act.
“Where does this audacity of perpetrators come from? From a system that simply does not function,” the WCC said, alleging that power structures within the industry have rendered ICs ineffective.
It also raised concerns that committee members were “unaware” of a serious incident that allegedly took place on set, questioning whether the IC had reached out to the survivor at all.
The collective further pointed to the lack of implementation of key recommendations, including oversight mechanisms proposed in line with the Hema Committee findings.
It criticised the industry for treating compliance frameworks as a “burden” and warned that failure to enforce them in spirit would embolden perpetrators and leave film sets unsafe for women.
Meanwhile, police have stepped up the investigation into the case where hugely popular director, actor, and script writer Ranjith is presently cooling his heels in judicial custody after he allegedly assaulted a young actress on his set.
He was taken into custody on March 31st while attempting to go into hiding after this case surfaced.
Meanwhile, the police probe team on Thursday identified the caravan in which the alleged assault took place during a film shoot in Fort Kochi in January.
While no CCTV cameras were installed inside the caravan, efforts are underway to gather footage from external cameras.
Investigators are also recording statements from film crew members present on the set.
The complainant, a young actress who reportedly suffered trauma, approached the City Police Commissioner last week, following which a special investigation team was formed under the leadership of Aswathi Jijy.
Ranjith was arrested after a discreet preliminary inquiry.
Police sources indicated that the alleged misconduct inside the caravan was known to several individuals on set, and more witnesses will be questioned in the coming days.
The court is set to consider both the custody application and the director’s bail plea on Saturday.
Reiterating its support for the survivor, the WCC said her decision to approach the police directly underscored both courage and the failure of institutional safeguards.
“The industry can no longer hide behind ignorance or inertia,” it said, urging strict implementation of ICs and legal safeguards to ensure dignity and safety at workplaces.
–IANS
sg/dan