The recent downfall of the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA) has underscored a crucial point: the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC) was right from the start. Established in response to the 2017 abduction and sexual assault of a prominent female actor in Kochi, the WCC has consistently criticised AMMA for being an unsafe space for those advocating for rights, especially women. This week, after a series of sexual misconduct allegations emerged against several male industry members, including some within AMMA, the organisations office bearers resigned en masse, following the release of the Justice Hema Committee report.
While the collective resignation was seen by some as a chance for new, more effective leadership to take over, others viewed it as an abdication of responsibility. Among the critics is Parvathy Thiruvothu, a key advocate for gender equality in Malayalam cinema and a founding member of the WCC. In a recent discussion with journalist Barkha Dutt on her YouTube channel, Mojo Story, Parvathy described the mass resignation as a “cowardly” move aimed at evading accountability.
Parvathy expressed her frustration, stating, “The first reaction I had when I heard about this collective resignation was, ‘how cowardly.’ How cowardly of them to step away from a position where they are accountable to speak to the media. That’s an immediate cop-out. With this, the onus has again fallen on women to take the conversations and debates forward.” She lamented that the resigning committee members did not show a genuine intention to collaborate with the state government and other stakeholders to find a solution.
Criticising AMMA’s past actions, Parvathy pointed out, “This is the same executive committee that welcomed the prime accused in the 2017 sexual assault case back into its fold when the case was still ongoing. This is the same executive committee that denied the existence of these issues until the allegations were made public.” She also took issue with the government’s response, which placed the burden on women to file complaints and name perpetrators, often disregarding the impact on their careers and mental health.
Reflecting on her own experiences, Parvathy discussed how she never considered staying silent, even when unofficially blacklisted from the industry. She recalled, “It was at the start of my career in 2005 that I first sensed the behavioural issues of men in the industry. It started with the pretext of ‘family’ work without contracts, leading to payment issues. Despite these challenges, I resolved to take on any other job rather than remain silent.” Her stance has earned her a reputation as the “difficult person to work with,” but Parvathy remains steadfast in her commitment to confronting and addressing the systemic issues within the industry.
Comments
0 comment