The release of the Justice Hema Committee report on Malayalam film industry has been put on hold due to a court petition filed by actress Ranjini. The report, which was scheduled for release today (Aug 17), will now be delayed pending a court hearing on Monday (Aug 19).
Thiruvananthapuram: The highly anticipated release of the Justice Hema Committee report has been put on hold due to a last-minute court plea filed by actress Ranjini. The report, which explores the issues faced by women in the film industry, was initially scheduled for release today (Aug 17) but has been delayed pending a court hearing on Monday.
According to sources, the Kerala government's Cultural Affairs Department has decided to wait until the court case is resolved before releasing the report, which will omit personal and identifying information to protect individuals' privacy. Accordingly, the 233-page report will have certain portions redacted, including the 96th paragraph of page 49 and sections 165 to 196 in pages 81-100. The annexures will also not be released.
This development comes after an earlier court dismissal of a petition filed by producer Sajimon Parayil, which had sought to block the report's release. The government has until August 19 to release the report as per the court order.
The Justice Hema Committee was formed in 2017 to investigate the challenges faced by women in the film industry, and the report was handed over to the government after two and a half years on December 31, 2019. Further updates on the report's release are expected after the court hearing on Monday.