The Malayalam film industry has been in the spotlight ever since the Hema Committee report revealed the findings on the working conditions of women in the industry. Now, actress Radikaa Sarathkumar has shared her experience of working in a malayalam movie However, she said the difficulties faced by actresses are not limited to Malay cinema but also Tamil and Telugu. The veteran actress-cum-politician has worked in several languages in the South. She revealed that there have been instances where men have secretly recorded videos of nude actresses using hidden cameras placed in vans used by women for changing.
Speaking to Asianet News, Radikaa Sarathkumar said that she personally saw men sitting together on the sets and enjoying these scenes on their mobile phones. “When I was on a set in Kerala, I saw people gathered together and laughing at something. When I passed by, I noticed that they were watching a video. I called a crew member and asked what they were watching. I was told that there were cameras in the luxury vehicles and footage of women changing clothes had been captured with them. I was told that I just had to type the artist’s name and I would find a video of her changing clothes. I watched the video,” she revealed.
She further said that after the incident she was too afraid to use her truck on set and so she would go to her hotel room to change.
Radikaa, however, refused to reveal the name of the film in which the incident was shot: “If we spit looking up, the spit will fall on our faces. That is why I do not want to give names.”
What did Radikaa do?
“This system is wrong. After the incident, I told other female artists about the hidden cameras. I was afraid to enter my van after the incident. It is a private space for us to change, rest or eat,” she added.
The actress also confronted the film’s crew and informed them about the same. “I have seen videos of women changing clothes in vans. I confronted the crew and told them that this is not right. I told the van crew that I would beat them with chappals (slippers) if I found a camera in the vehicle. I was angry. I insisted that I wanted to be safe and that I did not want the van at all. They then told me that they would look into it,” she said.
Radikaa reacts to Urvashi’s comment:
Meanwhile, actress Urvashi, after the Hema Committee report, said that vanity vans are safe on the set. Responding to it, Radikaa said, “I saw Urvashi’s interview. She said there is nothing like that (sexual misconduct) in Kerala. She is from Kerala and from the Malayalam film industry. She makes her living there. She is a fantastic actress and a good friend. But on this issue, we have different views. It happens not only in Kerala but in other states as well.”
Radikaa enthusiastically welcomed the Hema Committee Report But she wondered why its release to the public was delayed. She also shared that she too has been a victim of misconduct on the sets. “I was wondering why there was such a delay in the release of the Hema Justice Committee report. I have been in the industry for 46 years. Of course, there have been people who have tried to misbehave with me. Women should be empowered to say ‘No’ when such incidents happen to them. No man has said anything in any industry. So the onus is again on women. Now, they have to take this responsibility to protect themselves,” she shared.
Disclaimer:
The information contained in this post is for general information purposes only. We make no representations or warranties of any kind, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, reliability, suitability or availability with respect to the website or the information, products, services, or related graphics contained on the post for any purpose.
We respect the intellectual property rights of content creators. If you are the owner of any material featured on our website and have concerns about its use, please contact us. We are committed to addressing any copyright issues promptly and will remove any material within 2 days of receiving a request from the rightful owner.