Tamil film industry to constitute panel to look into sexual abuse complaints

'We will form a ten-member committee in the next ten days. It is the duty of the Nadigar Sangam (to hear women),' popular actor Vishal told reporters when asked whether the Tamil film industry will constitute a committee on the lines of the Hema panel.

Chennai: Nadigar Sangam or the South Indian Artistes Association will soon constitute a committee to look into complaints of sexual abuse and mental harassment in the Tamil film industry, the organisation’s general secretary and popular actor Vishal said on Thursday.

Vishal’s comments come on the heels of women in Malayalam cinema coming out openly against actors and those in the film industry on sexual abuse and harassment following the release of the Hema Committee constituted by the Kerala government.

“We will form a ten-member committee in the next ten days. It is the duty of the Nadigar Sangam (to hear women),” Vishal told reporters when asked whether the Tamil film industry will constitute a committee on the lines of the Hema panel.

“We are in the process of finalising the members of the committee. We will formally announce the committee. The Nadigar Sangam is not just for men but women too. Women play an important role in the film industry,” Vishal said.

The actor and general secretary of Nadigar Sangam also asked women in the industry not to trust fake companies whose agenda is only to lure women. “These upma (loosely translated as non-trustable) companies set up an office with a couple of cameras and lure women in the name of photoshoots. Women should be very careful,” Vishal added.

His comments also come at a time demands that the Tamil film industry should also have a committee like the one in Kerala to probe allegations of sexual harassment is growing.

“Will anything remotely similar happen in Tamil cinema? I have no hopes. And my pessimism comes not just from the reluctance in addressing systemic misogyny. Politicians in Kerala have at least a semblance of commitment to self-image. Here, only photo-ops with Diamond-Pearl,” asked writer Meena Kandasamy.

Diamond-pearl is a veiled reference to popular lyricist Vairamuthu who was accused of sexual harassment by multiple women, including singer Chinmayi Sripada. Despite the charges, Vairamuthu continues to wield influence in the Tamil film industry with activists decrying the importance that the ruling DMK accords to him in its programs.