ENTERTAINMENT

Hema Committee report should be probed, strong action should be taken: Prithviraj

Tuesday, 27 Aug, 2024
Actor Prithviraj said people facing harassment allegations should step down from positions of power. (Photo courtesy: Prithviraj Sukumaran/Facebook)

Three-time Kerala State Film Best Actor award winner Prithviraj sought a probe into the findings of the Hema Committee report on the conditions and sexual exploitation of women in the Malayalam film industry and "strong" action against the wrongdoers while observing that there have been lapses by the Association of Malayalam Movies Artistes (AMMA).

"How it will affect, I do not know and if it has to affect, it should. There should be a proper probe into the report and if the allegations against someone are proven right, very strong action should be there and at the same time, if proven wrong, the same strong action should be made against those who raised it," he said.

He candidly said that there have been lapses on the part of AMMA and that strong action should have been taken in the past. In reply to another question about the presence of a 'power group' in the Malayalam film industry, as claimed in the report, he said: "Just because I say that I have not been affected by the power group, that doesn’t mean it’s not there and if such a group exists, I will say that such a thing should not happen."

"My take is in all organizations there should be a female representative in the top post," Prithviraj said to a poser if things would have been better had a woman occupied the top post of President or General Secretary in AMMA.

Since last week, ever since the explosive Hema Committee report finally came out, two film personalities have quit the posts that they held while many more powerful AMMA members also have been named by their alleged victims. AMMA General Secretary Siddique and Kerala State Chalachitra Academy Chairman and film icon Ranjith quit their posts after two different actresses accused them of misbehaving with them.