Some battles are worth fighting — against injustice and deceit, believes Remya Nambeesan, who has emerged as the face of defiance in the industry and one of the most vocal members of the Women in Cinema Collective. The actor-singer opened up on a variety of issues faced by women in Malayalam cinema today in a candid telephonic interview.
Patriarchy
It’s not something confined to film industry alone. Its there in our society and cinema is only a reflection of it. In the industry, patriarchy remains invisible even though we come across instances of inequality and oppression. Women are easily branded as troublemakers when we react against undesirable practices. We are always supposed to react “decently’. There had been occasions when we were sidelined.
Casting couch / seeking favours for roles
I have not yet faced casting couch even though it’s a reality faced by many, especially newcomers. I have always been courageous enough to react against those seeking favours in return for roles. We have come across recorded evidence where people are caught asking newcomers to make ‘compromises’ and ‘adjustments’ to get roles in movies and advertisements. Those who are at the receiving end are given the impression that it’s a common practice in the industry. There are movie production sets that are friendly to women. We have no intention to defame the industry, but problems do exist.
Gender insensitivity
Good that Malayalam cinema is actively discussing it now. For WCC, it’s a long drawn out fight. At least women in the industry are now aware that they have the right to speak up against the discriminations they face. We have an internal complaints committee. Our effort is to ensure a government mechanism to check such practices. A major cleansing is the need of the hour. That's why we are raising our voice. The government could support us by taking steps that would help more women to enter the industry without fear and do their work with dignity.
Pay gaps
You will probably faint once you know the difference between the salary of a woman actor and her male counterpart. I appreciate the trend where new actors are asking for a better pay. We do not have a situation where female actors could determine the market for a movie. Female actors asking for better salary are often replaced by others [who are prepared to settle for a lesser pay].
Hema commission
All aspects related to cinema are being studied. We have given our views in writing. The government could help in increasing accountability in the industry. A proper complaint redressal committee will be an effective deterrent.
The feeling that you could do anything against a woman and go scot free has to change.