Hema Committee report should be probed, strong action should be taken, says Prithviraj

KOCHI: Three-time Kerala State Film Best Actor award winner Prithviraj minced no words on Monday as he categorically sought a probe into the findings of the Hema Committee report on the conditions and sexual exploitation of women in the Malayalam film industry and "strong" action against the wrongdoers while observing that there have been lapses by the Association of Malayalam Movies Artistes (AMMA).

"How it will affect, I do not know and if it has to affect, it should. There should be a proper probe into the report and if the allegations against someone are proven right, very strong action should be there and at the same time, if proven wrong, the same strong action should be made against those who raised it," he said.

To a question on if the contents of the report surprised him, Prithviraj shot back: "Why should I be surprised as I was one of the first persons to have deposed before the Committee? Like you (media), I am also waiting to know what’s going to happen."

He candidly said that there have been lapses on the part of AMMA and that strong action should have been taken in the past.

In reply to another question about the presence of a 'power group' in the Malayalam film industry, as claimed in the report, he said: "Just because I say that I have not been affected by the power group, that doesn’t mean it’s not there and if such a group exists, I will say that such a thing should not happen."

"My take is in all organisations there should be a female representative in the top post," Prithviraj said to a poser if things would have been better had a woman occupied the top post of President or General Secretary in AMMA.

He made it clear that in the best interest of everything, if an allegation surfaces against anyone, it is better that such people step down from posts that they occupy.

When it was pointed out how a talented actress like Parvathy was kept out, he shot back: "Before that happened, it was me who had to suffer it."

Since last Monday, ever since the explosive Hema Committee report finally came out, two film personalities have quit the posts that they held while many more powerful AMMA members also have been named by their alleged victims.

On Sunday, AMMA General Secretary Siddique and Kerala State Chalachitra Academy Chairman and film icon Ranjith quit their posts after two different actresses accused them of misbehaving with them.

The others whose names have been named tormentors include actor-turned-CPI-M legislator Mukesh, senior actors Maniyan Pillai Raju, Jayasurya, Edavela Babu, Baburaj, and director Tulasidas.

Prithviraj said that as he had a programme on Monday, he decided to meet the media exclusively to express his views and did not wish to interact through a social media post or a press statement.