Shaji N Karun heads panel to draft film policy for state

Thiruvananthapuram: The state government has constituted a committee under veteran filmmaker Shaji N Karun to draft a film policy for the state, in the wake of women’s organizations raising several unhealthy practices prevailing in the film industry.The committee also includes Kollam MLA M Mukesh, actors Manju Warrier, Padmapriya and Nikhila Vimal, filmmakers Rajeev Ravi and B Unnikrishnan, producer Santhosh Kuruvilla and secretary of Kerala State Chalachithra Academy secretary C Ajoy. Cultural affairs secretary Mini Antony will be the convener of the committee.The order issued by the government in this regard also said that the committee will consider the recommendations of the Hema commission that was appointed to look into the issues being faced by women working in the film industry, while formulating the policy. The committee has also been asked to take suggestions from various persons working in pre-production, production, post-production, distribution and exhibition sectors. The committee has been asked to submit its recommendations in two months from its constitution.The government had in March last year announced in the assembly that a comprehensive act will be formulated on the basis of the Hema commission’s recommendations. Cultural affairs and fisheries minister Saji Cherian had said in the assembly that the government will prepare and place a draft legislation before the assembly. He said that the government is in the process of taking action on the report.The report was prepared by a three member-committee chaired by retired justice K Hema and consisting of actress Sarada and former IAS officer K B Valsalakumari. The committee was appointed on July 1, 2017 and it had submitted its report to the government on December 31, 2019. However, the government has refused to make the report of the commission available in the public domain, since the experiences of many women working in the film industry are part of the report and the commission itself had recommended the government to keep the report confidential.