Moment of reckoning?

A fter years of activism and the suppression of voices, the #MeToo moment appears to have arrived for Mollywood-the popular name for the Malayali film industry.

Known for producing some of the finest cinema in India, both in terms of critical acclaim and popularity, the Malayali film industry has allegedly been thriving on horrifying realities. A part of the problem had already been debated in media, public, and activist circles. The considerably delayed release of the Hema Committee report, apart from lending credibility to the issue, has revealed disturbing details about the situation. The report has exposed the "rampant sexual harassment" and "appalling working conditions" faced by women from the lack of basic facilities like toilets and changing rooms to an absence of security and a sense of dignity in the Malayalam film industry. The deep-rooted culture of misogyny and exploitation that has festered unchecked for far too long is now out in the open.