Highlights
Recently acclaimed Tamil film director Venkat Prabhu has joined the list of celebrities who came forward to talk about the issue of sexual harassment in the film industry in an interview with NDTV. After the expose of the Hema Committee report on the abuse of women in the Malayalam film industry, Prabhu feels it is high time that Tamil cinema should face such allegations boldly. The director of the upcoming movie The Greatest of All Time (The GOAT) stressed making a better environment for women in the industry and not just the film industry.
A Call for Accountability in Tamil Cinema
Another Tamil film celebrity, Venkat Prabhu, has also chimed in regarding sexual harassment allegations saying that the Tamil film industry needs to take these allegations seriously. He said, “At least from now, the Tamil film industry should start coming clean.” Prabhu’s comment comes in the light of the Hema Committee report that provided details of the harassment women faced in the Malayalam film industry.
He has two daughters and he said he wants women to be safe at work. He agreed that though sexual harassment is a common issue in many industries the film industry is usually in the spotlight. Prabhu also stressed the aspect of enforcing penalties on the offenders in hopes that this would prevent future cases of abuse.
Industry Harassment in a Wider Perspective
The comments made by Prabhu are indicative of a developing consciousness of the struggles that women encounter in the media business. He noted that sexual harassment is not only confined to cinema but also in media, IT sectors sports, etc. But he said that it is usual to find that the film industry becomes more aware when such problems occur.
The director’s comments also reference the current case of the singer Chinmayi Sripada, accused of sexual harassment of the lyricist Vairamuthu and the actor Radha Ravi. When asked about the industry’s reaction regarding these allegations, Prabhu commented that the industry is ‘taking care of it.’ But in the same interview, Sripada said that the industry and FEFSI have not done much to ensure that the film industry is safe for women.
The Path Forward for a Safer Film Industry
The call to action that Venkat Prabhu has given is that there must be a change in the system at work in the Tamil film industry. Through this, he proposes a possible solution that may help in reducing the incidences of violence at the workplace by demanding clear consequences for offenders. This is because he has been able to influence the movie from the angle of a director and that of a father thus giving his cause more credence.
The debate that ensued from the comments made by Prabhu is a testimony of the fact that there are still many workplaces, in all industries, where women are not safe and are not given equal opportunities. While the film industry continues to struggle with such issues, such testimonies as Prabhu’s could be useful in advocating for changes and creating a better environment for the employees of the industry.
