Hema Committee Report, Kolkata Horror: Vikram Calls Incidents Of Crime Against Women ‘Disgusting’

Thangalaan star Vikram has shared his views on women's safety ahead of his film's Hindi release on August 30. The 58-year-old actor's remarks come in the wake of the alleged rape and murder of a trainee doctor in Kolkata and the Justice Hema Committee report on women's exploitation in Malayalam cinema.

Vikram 'disgusted' by crimes against women

Vikram termed the recent incidents of crime against women in the country "disgusting". He said he has often wondered about tackling the issue of women's safety in his films. “We get affected by most things that happen... I’ve always thought that if I was creative, would I address it more in my movies? Will I do something?” he said.

Vikram also shared that the source of his inspiration could be Thangalaan director Pa Ranjith whose films' recurrent theme is about changing the entire system. "It’s something that I’m trying to figure out, ‘What do we do? What does the nation need to do? Do we start young? Do we start inculcating these things in children?’ As Pa Ranjith says, ‘Change the whole system and start from scratch’. I don’t know, something has to be done," he added.

#MeToo in Mollywood and Kolkata rape-murder case rock India

A postgraduate trainee woman doctor was allegedly raped and murdered in the seminar hall of Kolkata's RG Kar Medical College and Hospital on August 9, following which a Kolkata Police civic volunteer was arrested.

Meanwhile, the Justice Hema Committee report, released on August 19, details the power nexus in the Malayalam cinema industry and lays bare the multiple levels of exploitation faced by women in it. The Kerala government-appointed panel to study issues of sexual harassment and gender inequality was constituted after the 2017 actress assault case involving actor Dileep. In its findings, the report detailed 17 issues faced by women professionals in the field, ranging from sexual harassment to pay disparity. Several high-profile names in Mollywood are under the scanner in this moment of reckoning for the film industry. A seven-member team has been appointed to probe #MeToo cases. 
 

(With PTI inputs)