Amala Paul Lauds MeToo Victims Amid Backlash, Calls Hema Committee Report 'Disturbing, Shocking'

Amala Paul is one of the leading actresses of the Malayalam film industry. Following the disturbing findings by the Hema Committee Report released publically on August 19, the poor working conditions of women professionals in Mollywood were exposed. The 235-page report details horrifying accounts of sexual abuse faced by women artists in the workplace. This has stirred a massive #MeToo movement uproar across the industry with various artists sharing their ordeals every day. More recently, Amala Paul has reacted to the findings of the report.

Amala Paul reacts to Hema Committee's explosive findings

The actress shared her reaction to the findings of the Hema Committee and expressed shock. As reported by OnManorama, the actress shared, “Very disturbing and shocking things emerged from the Hema Committee report. I hope there will be justice for this." She asserted the importance of maintaining the momentum that is in motion following the report.

She credited the Women In Collective Cinema for starting the uproar. She shared, “There was a strong group, the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC), who worked tirelessly to bring this report to the public. They weren’t alone in this effort; they had the support of the legal system as well."

Speaking to PTI, Amala Paul further said, “I think it’s time for a change. This was due for a long time. So, I am glad that this has come, I hope it will take it’s due course and it will bring the results that we all deserve. Hats off to all the women who have come out and spoken. It’s not easy with all the backlash they have to face, respect to them."

Samantha Ruth Prabhu demands Telangana government to release Hema Committee-like report

On August 30, the ripples of Mollywood's #MeToo spilt over to the Telugu film industry as well. Actress Samantha Ruth Prabhu shared a post by the Women In Collective Cinema in which the body stated a support group was formed in 2019 for women artists in Telugu cinema. The Women in Collective Cinema urged the Telangana government to make the findings by their special committee public. In a statement, the body shared, “We, the women of the Telugu film industry, welcome the Hema Committee report and applaud the persistent efforts of the WCC in Kerala, which has laid the path to this momentum.”

The statement continued, “Taking cue from the WCC, The Voice of Women, a support group for women in the TFI, was created in 2019.” They further urged the government to publish the findings of the report. It concluded, “We hereby urge the Telangana government, to publish the submitted sub-committee report on sexual harassment, which can help frame government and industry policies, to establish a safe working environment for women in the TFI.”