Three weeks after the release of a report alleging widespread abuse of power by men in the Kerala film industry, many of the women who spoke out are being targeted by online trolls.
Last month, the Justice Hema committee report alleged years of widespread sexual harassment of women, including demands for "sex for roles", and gender discrimination in the South Indian state, which makes films in Malayalam. Compiled over three years, the report's release led to more women coming forward about their experiences as well as the resignation of leaders from the Association of Malayalam Movie Actors (better known as AMMA).
Leading the charge is the Women in Cinema Collective (more commonly known as WCC), which was set up in 2017 to protect the welfare of women in the male-dominated Malayalam film industry. The WCC was formed following the brutal kidnapping and sexual assault of a leading actress. South Indian megastar Dileep, who is currently on bail, is on trial accused of plotting the abduction and sexual attack.
It was the WCC that successfully petitioned the Chief Minister of Kerala, Pinarayi Vijayan, in May 2017 to act, which led to the formation of the Hema committee, led by retired judge Justice K Hema.
In an old video that has recently resurfaced, actress Rima Kallingal, a founding member of the WCC, is accused of hosting drug-fuelled parties by a Tamil singer. Kallingal, known for films such as 2012's 22 Female Kottayam, dismissed the allegations on social media and said she is taking legal action against the singer. “To all who believe in our cause, let’s continue to march ahead together,” she posted. Kallingal also told The National that she was working alongside the WCC in her case.
"Fake accounts on social media are being created en masse," the WCC said in a statement last week. "Character assassination is a tactic that the patriarchal society has always used to mentally break down women who speak out. We will continue to move forward, confronting this legally."
Booker Prize-winning author and activist Arundhati Roy and human rights lawyer Vrinda Grover have also written to Vijayan to take a “360-degree approach” to fulfil the recommendations of the committee.
Besides allegations of rampant sexual abuse, the report also detailed an alleged power system in the film industry. An all-boys club of about 10-15 control the industry and have the power to make or break one’s movie career, the report claims. Even lightning technicians feared losing jobs if they didn’t stand up when one of the men from the power group came on set, it said.
Allegations of an "inhumane working environment" include a lack of basic facilities such as toilets and changing rooms for women. "Male superstars” received inflated pay cheques, the report alleged, with no clear work contracts for the rest.
Speaking to The National, filmmaker Indu VS, best known for the acclaimed 2022 film 19(1)(a), said what pained her most during the past few weeks is seeing several victims, who had previously complained against their alleged abusers, still waiting for justice.
“Watching them come forward, again, to revisit their abuse and trauma, was emotionally haunting," she said. “To imagine that the system had failed them again is heartbreaking.”
“I hope the Hema committee report's focus on systemic issues will put the onus on those in power to create more equitable and accountable eco-systems.”
Santhy Balachandran,
actress
While AMMA's top leaders have collectively stepped down on “moral grounds”, leading actors in the Malayalam film industry including Mohanlal, who was president of the organisation, and Mammotty, have denied the existence of a “power group” or “mafia” alleged in the Hema report.
"We request you not to put all the focus on AMMA. Investigation is going on. Please don't destroy the industry," Mohanlal said at an event following his resignation.
At a separate press conference, actress Jomol refuted some of the allegations in the Hema report, saying: “No one knocked on my door.” She added "No one has ever spoken bad to me. I have been acting in film for a long time. No such experience to date. I haven’t had any ill-treatment from the industry."
Actress Santhy Balachandran said that while some actresses have been fortunate to not experience sexual harassment, the larger issue with the “it hasn’t happened to me” argument is that it feeds into the narrative that preventing sexual assault is a matter of individual responsibility. This absolves the system of any complicity by pointing towards the survivor’s actions as the reason for their experience, she said.
“This narrative focuses on what the survivor should or should not have done, traumatising them further instead of examining how the environment they were in enabled exploitation," she added. “I hope the Hema committee report’s focus on systemic issues will put the onus on those in power to create more equitable and accountable eco-systems.”
But change will take time, said director Indu after “decades of patriarchal conditioning in our society”. Yet, she remains hopeful. “From when I joined in 2010 to now, things have changed so much. More women are stepping up and making their voices heard," she said. "Whether it’s the WCC or the victim of the 2017 abuse, women aren’t taking things lying down."
She called the report "historic". She added: “From a space where people didn’t even realise they were facing injustice, to a point where we can distinguish good from bad, it is a huge step. "What Hema's report has managed to do is create a space for everyone in the film industry to share their experiences and will lead to more meaningful conversations. No longer will people live in ignorance.”
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
The specs
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MATCH INFO
Asian Champions League, last 16, first leg:
Al Ain 2 Al Duhail 4
Second leg:
Tuesday, Abdullah bin Khalifa Stadium, Doha. Kick off 7.30pm
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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F1 The Movie
Starring: Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem
Director: Joseph Kosinski
Rating: 4/5
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Cyber warfare - Shaped by geopolitical tension, hostile actors seek to infiltrate and compromise national infrastructure, using one country’s systems as a springboard to launch attacks on others.
Profile
Company: Justmop.com
Date started: December 2015
Founders: Kerem Kuyucu and Cagatay Ozcan
Sector: Technology and home services
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Size: 55 employees and 100,000 cleaning requests a month
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MATCH INFO
Chelsea 0
Liverpool 2 (Mane 50', 54')
Red card: Andreas Christensen (Chelsea)
Man of the match: Sadio Mane (Liverpool)
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
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A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
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The National Archives, Abu Dhabi
Founded over 50 years ago, the National Archives collects valuable historical material relating to the UAE, and is the oldest and richest archive relating to the Arabian Gulf.
Much of the material can be viewed on line at the Arabian Gulf Digital Archive - https://www.agda.ae/en
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
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- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
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What can victims do?
Always use only regulated platforms
Stop all transactions and communication on suspicion
Save all evidence (screenshots, chat logs, transaction IDs)
Report to local authorities
Warn others to prevent further harm
Courtesy: Crystal Intelligence
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Manchester United 2
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Where to donate in the UAE
The Emirates Charity Portal
You can donate to several registered charities through a “donation catalogue”. The use of the donation is quite specific, such as buying a fan for a poor family in Niger for Dh130.
The General Authority of Islamic Affairs & Endowments
The site has an e-donation service accepting debit card, credit card or e-Dirham, an electronic payment tool developed by the Ministry of Finance and First Abu Dhabi Bank.
Al Noor Special Needs Centre
You can donate online or order Smiles n’ Stuff products handcrafted by Al Noor students. The centre publishes a wish list of extras needed, starting at Dh500.
Beit Al Khair Society
Beit Al Khair Society has the motto “From – and to – the UAE,” with donations going towards the neediest in the country. Its website has a list of physical donation sites, but people can also contribute money by SMS, bank transfer and through the hotline 800-22554.
Dar Al Ber Society
Dar Al Ber Society, which has charity projects in 39 countries, accept cash payments, money transfers or SMS donations. Its donation hotline is 800-79.
Dubai Cares
Dubai Cares provides several options for individuals and companies to donate, including online, through banks, at retail outlets, via phone and by purchasing Dubai Cares branded merchandise. It is currently running a campaign called Bookings 2030, which allows people to help change the future of six underprivileged children and young people.
Emirates Airline Foundation
Those who travel on Emirates have undoubtedly seen the little donation envelopes in the seat pockets. But the foundation also accepts donations online and in the form of Skywards Miles. Donated miles are used to sponsor travel for doctors, surgeons, engineers and other professionals volunteering on humanitarian missions around the world.
Emirates Red Crescent
On the Emirates Red Crescent website you can choose between 35 different purposes for your donation, such as providing food for fasters, supporting debtors and contributing to a refugee women fund. It also has a list of bank accounts for each donation type.
Gulf for Good
Gulf for Good raises funds for partner charity projects through challenges, like climbing Kilimanjaro and cycling through Thailand. This year’s projects are in partnership with Street Child Nepal, Larchfield Kids, the Foundation for African Empowerment and SOS Children's Villages. Since 2001, the organisation has raised more than $3.5 million (Dh12.8m) in support of over 50 children’s charities.
Noor Dubai Foundation
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum launched the Noor Dubai Foundation a decade ago with the aim of eliminating all forms of preventable blindness globally. You can donate Dh50 to support mobile eye camps by texting the word “Noor” to 4565 (Etisalat) or 4849 (du).
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
What can you do?
Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses
Seek professional advice from a legal expert
You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor
You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline
In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support
