Chetan Kumar, who is also the founder of FIRE (Film Industry for Rights and Equality) confirmed that a petition signed by 153 people from the industry has been submitted to the Karnataka government to form a committee to study the challenges faced by workers in the industry. Kannada film industry.
Speaking exclusively to ETimes, Chetan said, “The study should be done at the earliest, expect a few months, but at the earliest so that proper policies can be made to create a healthy environment in the Karnataka film industry. Let me make it clear that this is not a war of women versus men, this is a war for those of us who believe in equality and justice as human beings.For the past 10,000 years, the film industry has been dominated by patriarchal men in powerful positions, as well as women who, for various reasons, accept and tolerate this kind of war the real issue here is ideological; it is not a war between men and women, but rather a struggle against deeply rooted patriarchal structures. those with patriarchal capitalist interests and lobbies.We are the first industry in the country to form an ICC (Internal Complaints Cell). Later the WCC (Women in Cinema Collective) came and we always expressed our solidarity with them.
The actor also confirmed that he met the Karnataka CM and spoke about the implementation of the same committee in Sandalwood, “If the Kerala government can make a report and sanction it, we request the Karnataka government to do the same, because the Siddaramaiah government has always said that the game is very healthy and strong about being upholders of the constitution. We are egalitarians and fair-minded people who really uphold the constitution, not the interests of the status quo or other types of opportunistic forces and the forces of inequality. We went and met Mr. Siddaramaiah today and the CM promised us meeting again. We hope that they will complete and listen to us, and understand what is happening in the film industry.
When asked about his views on the punishment of the perpetrators, and whether there should be a ban, Chetan said, “We don’t believe in bans, because nothing can be banned from the film industry. Everyone has the freedom to work, and bans are not What we want is to clean up the film industry. It’s not a question of name-calling and finger-pointing. It’s a deeply patriarchal, exploitative system. We want to create awareness that many from 2018 to 2024. We will be stronger. We want men to know the right behavior, we want women to know their rights, and we want an equal society.
Chetan further emphasized on implementing strict measures to prevent sexual harassment in the workplace, “Sexual harassment is a reality, an open secret – something we have known has existed for generations, in the film industry as well. Members of FIRE have been working to remove the scourge this is through the ICC. We are taking a lot of complaints, we are also getting another hand in the film industry in our own way because we feel these people are not sensitive, you know, careful enough to handle this sensitive issue in a fair way.
Mohanlal Urges Action on Hema Committee Report: ‘Punish the guilty…’
Chetan also praised the Kerala Government’s initiative to form the Judicial Hema Committee, “The Pinarayi Vijayan government has done consistent work on gender equality class, dowry awareness, gender equality and many other issues.
The Kerala government recently released the 235-page Hema Committee report, with the names of witnesses and the accused redacted, making a significant impact across the country. The report has sparked new conversations about the #MeToo movement, shedding light on issues of gender inequality, and sexual harassment in the film industry.