Maneka Gandhi, the Union Minister for Women and Child Development, recently announced that seven Bollywood production houses have agreed to set up panels to deal with cases of sexual harassment, as per the request of the Ministry and has urged 17 others to follow their lead. The production houses have also been directed to submit a report on the internal complaints committee set up by them.
As responsible employers, all are obliged to follow the law of the land. I urge the #Bollywood Production Houses to do so and submit a report on the Internal Complaints Committee set up by them. Together, we need to ensure a Safe Workplace for our Women. 2/2 #SafeWorkplace4Women pic.twitter.com/DyEIPakfIK
— Maneka Gandhi (@Manekagandhibjp) July 16, 2018
Last year, in a letter to several leading producers of Bollywood, the Minister had directed them to comply with the Sexual Harassment at Workplace Act, 2013 and create a “safe, secure and inclusive” work environment for women. This came after the #MeToo movement that started in Hollywood.
The letter was addressed to top filmmakers, including Aditya Chopra, Karan Johar, Anurag Kashyap, Ekta Kapoor, Mahesh Bhatt, Shah Rukh Khan, Aamir Khan, Farhan Akhtar, Sajid Nadiadwala, Sanjay Leela Bhansali, Ashutosh Gowarikar and Subhash Ghai.
“The aim of this law is to ensure that no woman is sexually harassed at her workplace. This is to be followed in letter and spirit by all organisations in the country and I expect you to personally lead these efforts with sincerity and commitment, in accordance with all the applicable laws,” the letter had stated.
The seven production houses that have agreed include Yashraj Films, Aamir Khan Production, Mukta Arts, Excel Entertainment, Phantom Films, T-Series and Drishyam Films.
When Silverscreen reached out to a few production houses in Tamil Nadu asking what they felt about the idea of establishing a committee to look into sexual harassment complaints, most admitted they were unaware of the Ministry’s directive to Bollywood. Here’s what they had to say:
KE Gnanavel Raja, who owns Studio Green, Aadnah Arts and Blue Ghost Pictures, said he was unaware of the steps taken by production houses in Bollywood. “It is the job of the production council (TFPC) to set up such a committee. Why should I as an individual producer form such a committee? If at all any issues come to me, I will address them.”
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“We don’t have an environment that calls for the formation of such a committee. It is not necessary when you have the right people in the company. Also, a production company in Bollywood employs 100 to 150 people, while we have only 15 to 20 people,” said SR Prabhu, the producer of Aruvi and Suriya’s NGK.
T. Siva of AMMA Productions, which has been around for over 35 years, said, “We don’t need a panel to deal with sexual harassment cases. I have never come across such complaints. Compared to the film industries in other States, we (Kollywood) are more cultured and disciplined and don’t face such complaints.”
The manager of Vijaya Productions said, “We are not aware of such a directive, but in case there is a request from the Ministry, we have no objection in setting up the committee. The company was established in 1955, and, so far, there have been no such complaints. We don’t see it happening in the future as well, as our producer and his wife take care of everything.”