Amid #MeToo in Malayalam film industry, actress Kutty Padmini sheds light on sexual assault in Tamil industry, 'Directors and technicians demand...'

The recent revelations from the Hema Committee Report have sparked a significant #MeToo movement within the Malayalam film industry, exposing serious issues of sexual harassment and unsafe working conditions. As the wave of change continues to spread, similar disturbing stories are emerging from other parts of the Indian entertainment industry. Actress and television serial producer Kutty Padmini has now come forward with her own shocking allegations about rampant sexual harassment in the Tamil television industry.

In an interview with NDTV, Kutty Padmini revealed that in the Tamil TV industry, several directors and technicians demand sexual obligations from women actors working in the TV industry. The actress said that acting is a profession like any other (doctors, lawyers, IT persons) and questioned why people tend to make it look like a 'flesh trade'. The entertainment news coverage also highlights Ms. Padmini's startling disclosure that women have taken their own lives due to the inability to prove sexual harassment.

The Tamil stars also questioned the ban on singers Chinmayi Sripada and Sri Reddy for discussing sexual harassment in the film industry. Kutty Padmini disclosed that she experienced sexual harassment during her childhood as an artist, and her mother's concerns led to her removal from a Hindi film.

Meanwhile, the entire Hema Committee Report and #MeToo movement in the Malayalam film industry took a dramatic turn when the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA) members, including its president and Malayalam superstar Mohanlal, collectively resigned. Parvathy Thiruvothu harshly criticised the AMMA committee members for their collective resignation, a time when they should have spoken up and taken strict action against the accused. The actress believes that the onus is now again on women to fight for themselves and called the members' move 'cowardly'.

Actor-turned-politician Khushbu Sundar also lauded women for speaking up and hailed the Hema Committee Report for highlighting what has been going on in the film industry. Sundar also revealed that she was abused by her father, and it took her time to speak up because not everyone is priviledged to easily do so. The politician wants more women to stand up and expose such predators, as well as men to understand that no means no.