Mammootty FEFKA denies power group JP Nadda criticizes left govt over panel report – The Week

Thiruvananthapuram/Kochi/Palakkad, Sept 1 (PTI) – Actor Mammootty and the Film Employees Federation of Kerala on Sunday denied the existence of a “power group” in the film world as alleged in the Hema Justice Committee report, while BJP leader JP Nadda accused the Left government in Kerala of delaying the release of the panel's findings to protect some CPI(M) leaders.
Breaking his silence, Mammootty stated in a Facebook post that there is no power group in the film industry and that he fully welcomes and supports the recommendations and solutions in the committee's report.
He called on all those working in the film industry to be vigilant so that nothing unusual happens there and called on all associations in the film world to work together to implement the panel's recommendations.
The actor praised the state government's initiative to set up a Hema Judicial Committee and urged it to implement the panel's recommendations by enacting necessary laws if there are any legal hurdles.
The Women in Cinema Collective (WCC), an association of female professionals in the industry, called for the transformation of “our workplace” and said that “change is necessary”.
In a Facebook post, the WCC said it was now time for the state government and other film organizations to “stand together and take on their responsibility to transform the film industry into a gender-equitable workplace.”
Film Employees Federation of Kerala (FEFKA) General Secretary B. Unnikrishnan also expressed a similar view and demanded implementation of the panel’s recommendations.
He said there was no power group in the industry, but acknowledged that there were “strong alliances” of some production houses with certain directors, writers and actors to make big films, saying these were present in all film industries.
He also acknowledged the existence of a “casting couch” in the industry and stressed that the names of the perpetrators must be disclosed in the Hema Committee report.
Their responses came a day after actor Mohanlal broke his silence on the shocking revelations in the committee's report and denied the existence of a power group.
BJP party chief and Union Health Minister JP Nadda, on the other hand, questioned the delay in releasing the commission's report and the alleged lack of implementation of its recommendations and asked the state government: “What is stopping you? What is troubling you?”
Nadda alleged that leading members of the CPI(M) were mentioned in the commission's report and that the Left government had delayed the release of the report to conceal its involvement.
“That's because they are an integral part of it (negative findings in the report). They want to hide something because their people are involved.”
“I am sorry to say that the Hema committee report specifically mentions that the CPI(M) leaders are involved in the matter. The chief minister should put it out in black and white. He should say what actually happened,” the Union minister said at a public meeting with industrialists and community leaders of the district.
The Justice K Hema Committee was set up by the Kerala government following the 2017 actress assault case and its report revealed cases of harassment and exploitation of women in the Malayalam cinema industry.
Meanwhile, actor Jayasurya, who was accused of two cases of sexual harassment after the report was published, broke his silence and denied the allegations against him.
He said the allegations had “shocked” him, his family and everyone close to them.
The actor, who has been in the United States with his family for a month, said he would face the allegations legally and that his lawyers would handle the proceedings in the cases against him until his return.
In a note on his Facebook page thanking everyone who wished him on his birthday on August 31, Jayasurya wrote: “False accusations are easy for anyone without a conscience to make. I just hope that people realise that being faced with a false accusation of harassment is as painful as the harassment itself.”
“A lie always spreads faster than the truth, but I believe the truth will prevail.”
The first FIR against the actor was filed on August 28 under Section 354 (assault or criminal force to a woman with intent to outrage her modesty) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) at the Cantonment police station here following a complaint by an actress who has acted in some films.
The second case was filed at Karamana police station here under sections 354 and 354 C (voyeurism) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) on a complaint by another actress who had alleged that Jayasurya had sexually harassed her on a film set near Thodupuzha in 2012 and 2013.
Jayasurya said he had full faith in the justice system and sarcastically thanked “those who helped make this birthday one of the most painful”.
“Let him who has not sinned throw stones, but only at him who has sinned,” he added.