Kerala film industry's MeToo movement shows the power of women's collective action

Indian National Congress party workers wear masks of celebrities from the country's Kerala-based Mollywood film industry during a protest against the government's action over alleged sexual allegationShow more

The Malayalam film industry, in the southern Indian state of Kerala, has over decades won acclaim for its rich cinematic traditions and bold social themes.

However, until recently the industry’s progressive facade managed to cover up an ugly secret: a long and troubling pattern of sexual harassment and abuse against many of its women. This secret was brought to light last month by a judicial report that has shocked filmgoers and society more broadly.

The 290-page report, based on findings by the Justice Hema Committee at the request of the Kerala state government, has made revelations that expose not just isolated incidents but a pattern of misogyny and sexual violence in the film industry, also known as Mollywood. It has ignited a powerful ”MeToo” storm across the state, particularly as it comes close on the heels of another shocking development, in another part of India: the gruesome rape and murder of a trainee doctor inside a hospital in the eastern city of Kolkata.

The subsequent furore has forced very notable figures – including two male actors and one male director – to resign from their positions in associations linked to the industry.

Many are calling it India’s “MeToo 2.0” after Bollywood, the Hindi film industry, had its own reckoning in 2018 when actor Tanushree Dutta accused her fellow actor Nana Patekar and two others of sexually harassing her while shooting a movie. Her revelations gained widespread traction and led to a movement about a year after the Harvey Weinstein scandal rocked Hollywood.

But the Malayalam film industry’s current crisis is not simply a case of MeToo getting a second wind. It represents a new wave of woman power that demonstrates how collective action can challenge, and even unravel, the status quo in a male-dominated industry. It is also a call for action, for women to be the change they wish to see.

It is after all Bhavana, a female actor and the survivor of a sexual assault, who became the catalyst for that change. Bhavana’s fight for justice resonated with many and shook an industry that chose to side with the accused, a powerful male actor named Dileep. But the brutal incident, which took place in 2017 and was followed by a long and detailed police investigation, led to the creation of a feminist movement within the industry.

The Women in Cinema Collective became a beacon of resistance, demanding accountability and transparency from an industry that was seen to be run by men, for men, where women were considered little more than dispensable props. This collective’s relentless advocacy also led to the formation of the Justice Hema Committee, which studied and documented the rampant abuse and unsafe working conditions for women in Mollywood.

There have been hurdles along the way. Even though the committee submitted its report to the state government in 2019, bureaucratic and legal hurdles delayed its release for nearly five years. The government itself, which has often pledged to go the extra mile to help survivors of sexual violence, shied away from taking on an industry filled with influential actors-turned-politicians. As the report gathered dust, reports of abuse continued.

The high-profile resignations in the wake of the report’s release are of course welcome, but they are also instructive.

It is clear that dismantling a system meant to protect and promote men, and to allow for the perpetration of abuses against women, is not an easy task. Overhauling the legal process and practices in favour of swift justice are also likely take a long time. But movements such as Kerala’s MeToo are important because they are, at least, capable of exposing and confronting the culture of impunity.

To sustain these grassroots movements, however, solidarity is key. The trending hashtag Avalkoppam – meaning “with her” – has become a rallying cry against the normalisation of sexual harassment and abuse. It has effectively become a lifeline that all survivors can count on. Each story shared, each voice raised, adds to a growing chorus of women that can no longer be ignored. As a result, the current campaign is shifting the narrative from one of individual suffering to a collective fight for justice.

Moreover, what was once dismissed by many as “movie gossip” has now become potential grounds for non-bailable offence in the criminal justice system.

With the cleansing process having begun, its personal impact on Indian women cannot be discounted. In a society in which cases of sexual harassment and abuse are sadly all too common, and where women are often encouraged to remain silent, MeToo 2.0 is a strong reminder that when a survivor stands up for herself, she is invariably standing up for all survivors.