Hema Committee repercussions: New organisation floated in Malayalam film industry

Named the Progressive Film Makers, the new organisation has Aashiq Abu, his actress wife Rima Kallingal, and popular directors Anjali Menon, Lijo Jose Perilassery, and Rajiv Ravi, among others, behind it.

Kochi:  The repercussions of the Justice Hema Committee report, which brought out the ugly side of the Malayalam film world and the untold miseries of the women in it, continue to shake the industry with a group of film personalities on Monday announcing their decision to start a new organisation, as the existing Association of Malayalam Movie Artistes (AMMA) and the Film Employees Federation of Kerala (FEFKA) have come under a cloud.

Named the Progressive Film Makers, the new organisation has Aashiq Abu, his actress wife Rima Kallingal, and popular directors Anjali Menon, Lijo Jose Perilassery, and Rajiv Ravi, among others, behind it.

Following the Hema Committee report’s revelations, several former actresses broke their silence and made allegations of sexual harassment against top figures, including those holding posts in the AMMA and the FEFKA, the apex body of 21 different organisations from light boys to directors, forcing their resignations while both groups also faced flak.

The entire 17-member AMMA executive, led by its recently-elected President, superstar Mohanlal, resigned. Abu, in turn, resigned from the FEFKA accusing its General Secretary B.Unnikrishnan of not reacting to the Hema Committee report on time.

Following the allegations, 11 FIRs were registered and those now who are facing the music include actor-turned-CPI-M legislator Mukesh Madhavan, Nivin Pauly, Siddique, Jayasurya, Edavela Babu, Maniyanpilla Raju, directors Ranjith and Prakash, and production executives Vichu and Noble. However, Mukesh, Ranjith, Prakash and Raju have, by now, secured relief from the court.

With Abu taking the lead in floating a new outfit in the Malayalam film industry, it could see people who are not happy with the AMMA and the FEFKA joining it.

Abu and his new team have by now started to reach out to all in the industry with a letter stating the reason why they decided to start a new outfit is to ensure that a new culture is built which will have equality and respectability besides a social objective.

The coming days will reveal if Abu and his team are going to be successful as the Kerala High Court has slammed the Pinarayi Vijayan government for sitting on the Hema Committee report for nearly five years and has asked the special investigation team of the Kerala Police to do a clean probe based on the revelations.