SIAA Secretary Vishal Vows To Set Up Body To Probe Harassment, Exploitation Of Women In Kollywood

Post-release of the Hema Committee report, the case in the Malayalam film industry is getting murkier. Amid this, Tamil actor Vishal, General Secretary of the South Indian Artists' Association (SIAA), has called for a similar committee like the Hema Committee in the Tamil Film industry.

We won’t let the miscreants go scot-free: Vishal

In a media interaction, Vishal said he would create a committee where artists can open up about various kinds of exploitations in Tamil cinema. He also opined how people misbehaving with women should be treated. "People who are misbehaving with women should be hit with slippers," he said.

The actor further shared that he was asked if there is no one to address the suffering of Tamil actresses. "I want to reassure them, we (SIAA) are there, and we won’t let the miscreants go scot-free," he added. He continued that Nadigar Sangam will form a committee in the next ten days and the preparation for the same is underway. He assured that the official announcement would be made soon.

"It is our duty to do so. The association is not just for the men in the industry. It’s also for women to know that there is someone there for them,” Vishal concluded.

All you need to know about the Hema Committee

The association was formed in 2017 by the Kerala government following a high-profile incident in Malayalam cinema where an actress accused actor Dillep of allegedly assaulting her. It was a three-member committee consisting of former Kerala High Court judge K Hema, Sarada and retired Principal Secretary KB Valsalakumari. they submitted the report in 2019 but it was only made public this year on August 19. Since then, several prominent figures of Mollywood, including Siddique, Ranjith, Mukesh M, and Jayasuryah, have been facing sexual misconduct allegations. SIT is currently probing the cases filed by Malayalam actresses.