Radikaa Sarathkumar Discusses the Release of the Hema Committee Report

By A Staff Reporter

Chennai, Tamil Nadu: Actress Radikaa Sarathkumar recently commented on the Hema Committee report, highlighting the importance of its findings for women's rights and working conditions in the Malayalam film industry. The report, which was commissioned by the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC), took several years to be released publicly, sparking widespread discussion and controversy upon its publication.

Speaking about the origins and purpose of the committee, Sarathkumar said, "The Hema committee was started by WCC, a group of women who are standing up for women's rights and working conditions. They had gone to the Hema committee, but after the report was constituted, it was not published. It had gone to the government and it was lying there for 4 years till they went to court. The court had to tell them to release the findings."

Sarathkumar noted that the delay in releasing the report led to many allegations and controversies within the Malayalam film industry. "Once it came out, a lot of allegations came. And it has gone out of proportion in Kerala with naming the artists who are in the top bracket of the Malayalam film industry," she added.

Despite the controversies, Sarathkumar emphasized that the report's main goal was to protect women and improve working conditions. Reflecting on her own career, she stated, "This whole thing is for the protection of women. In my long career, I have seen a lot of things which we have to keep changing. Time and people's characters have changed. Education and lifestyle have gone up. How we address it is very important."