In South Indian Cinema, a #MeToo Reckoning Comes Roaring Back

Even before the #MeToo movement rocked Hollywood and rippled around the globe, the film industry in India’s prosperous and progressive south had embarked on a reckoning of its own.

In early 2017, a superstar of Malayalam film was accused of hiring criminals to abduct and rape a female star in a brutal case of retaliation. That prompted the government of the state of Kerala, where the Malayalam film industry is based, to conduct an investigation into what had long been an open secret: that the male-dominated cinema was rife with sexual abuse and harassment.

The government promised safer work spaces for women in the industry. The actor went to jail, then got out on bail as his high-profile trial continued. The investigation’s report was completed in 2019 but never made public, and the movement fizzled out before any justice was served — a sign of the widespread impunity in India for sexual violence and harassment.

Now, the movement has gotten a second wind, after media organizations and others filed a petition that forced the report’s release.

The report, while redacted to protect the privacy of both the victims and the powerful industry figures they accuse, offers damning evidence of widespread gender discrimination and sexual misconduct.

Exploitative practices, like seeking sexual favors for entry into the field and landing movie roles, were prevalent. Basic safety for women, such as separate bathrooms or changing rooms, was neglected. Gender pay gaps were large, and female actors, technicians, makeup artists and dancers were deprived of legally binding contracts.