Asif Ali: I respect those who shared their ordeal before the Hema Committee
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Actor Asif Ali has reacted to the Hema Committee Report, which was released by the state government on Monday. The actor, who was in Kochi as part of the Mazhavil Entertainment Awards 2024, said he respected all those victims who were brave enough to share their ordeal before the Hema Committee. He said justice should be granted to the women who spoke out against sexual assault and expressed his solidarity with them.“Everyone in the industry deserve to be treated equally. I will have to study the report further but I have deep respect for those women who spoke about their ordeal before the committee. Their problems have to be resolved,” he said.
Earlier in the day, actor Shine Tom Chacko also acknowledged the findings in the report, but added that sexual assault occurs in every industry and not only cinema. He also claimed there is no widespread coercion of newcomers in the industry, as maintained in the report.
Meanwhile, actor Baburaj who is married to actor Vani Viswanath said he was aware that women had no access to basic facilities on sets. “My wife has told me how they were forced to change under the cover of a sari on film sets. This was long ago. However, it is disturbing to learn that the situation has not yet changed in the industry,” he said.
The Hema Committee report was published on Monday after a gap of five years. The report exposed the sexual assault prevalent within the film industry and also mentioned how a certain group of male actors and producers controlled the industry, leaving some people out of work.