Tovino Thomas Defends Malayalam Film Industry Amid Hema Committee Report: 'Not Everyone Is...'

Malayalam actor Tovino Thomas is ‘hurt’ as the Malayalam film industry is getting targeted after the shocking revelations by the Justice Hema Committee report. In a recent interview, Tovino admitted that even he was approached by the commission to talk about his films. The actor seemingly defended the Malayalam film industry saying such things happen in other film industries too.

“I spoke to the committee. This committee was set up only in the Malayalam industry, that’s why we’re talking about things happening in the Malayalam film industry. If such a committee is set up in any other industry not just films, or anywhere in the world, you’d know that this problem exists even there. Now, if people say this happens only in the Malayalam film industry, it is hurtful for me because I’m a part of the industry,” he told Indian Express.

“Not everyone in the industry is going through that or perpetrating that. According to the report, people are going through those terrible things, and some have done that. But not everyone, I want to clarify that,” the actor added.

However, Tovino also shared that perpetrators mentioned in Hema Committee report must be punished. “If someone has done such a terrible thing to anyone, be it a man or a woman, they should get the deserved punishment. They shouldn’t be spared, that’s the basic thing to do. They should not just be punished but we must ensure that this doesn’t happen again. That awareness, that education system must be there so that (the workspace is safer for women),” he said.

What Is Justice Hema Committee Report?

Revelations by Justice Hema Committee report have left the entire nation shocked. In 2017, a Malayalam actress actress was sexually assaulted following which the government formed a three-member commission. While it was headed by Justice K Hema (retired), former bureaucrat KB Valsalakumari and veteran actress Sharada were the other two team members.

The report, which was submitted to the government in 2019, was made available to the public earlier this week. The report investigates several aspects of the Malayalam film industry including sexual harassment, lack of basic facilities like women’s toilets and changing rooms, pay disparity and discrimination on the basis of gender.