Prithviraj Sukumaran ‘not shocked’ by Hema Committee report: ‘It is important to punish those who commit sexual abuse’

Actor Prithviraj Sukumaran has spoken out on the recent revelations surrounding the Malayalam film industry. According to Onmanorama, the actor spoke to the press at the launch of his football club, Forca Kochi HC, where he spoke about the Hema Committee report and other issues. (Also read: ‘Mohanlal has lost his ability to react’: Malayalam actor Shammy Thilakan amid sexual misconduct allegations)

“The results must be taken seriously”

Prithviraj said those accused of harassment should resign from their positions of authority and strict action should be taken on the basis of the Hema Committee report. He also said that the Association of Malayalam Film Artists (AMMA) had erred in handling the issue since the inquiry was concluded.

He said, “The findings of the report should be taken very seriously. It is important to punish those who have committed sexual abuse. Those in positions of power should step down in the face of such allegations.” Surprisingly, Prithviraj was quoted as saying that he was “not shocked” by the findings of the report. “My responsibility is not just to make sure that the shooting location of my film is safe, it is important that the entire industry is safe for people,” he added.

According to the website, Prithviraj also said that he could not “deny” that there are people within the Malayalam film industry who have banned those who speak out against them. “I cannot deny that there is no organised power within the film industry simply because I have not faced it. Action must be taken if such organised activity to ban artistes is prevalent,” he said.

What’s happening in Mollywood

The Justice Hema Committee report, constituted by the Kerala government after Dileep’s alleged assault in 2017, has highlighted several cases of harassment and exploitation of women in the film industry. Many actresses have since come forward to report sexual harassment by actors and technicians in the film industry. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has set up a seven-member special team to investigate the atrocities faced by women in the industry.