Radhika Sarathkumar: ‘Actors with political ambitions should first advocate for women in their own film fraternity’
Radika Sarathkumar Photo credit: Special Arrangements
Veteran actor Radhika Sarathkumar, who is K. In the wake of the release of the Hema Committee report, which recently came out with fresh allegations based on what she had encountered on the sets of a Malayalam film, she held a press meet on a ragging issue. Safety of women in Tamil film industry.
Reiterating that she does not want to name and shame the culprits, Radhika said, “I have seen those who made mistakes and paid a heavy price for it. My colleagues and I handled it the right way when it happened to us and as strong women we don’t want to be helpless in front of the media.”
“That said, there’s no denying that there should be some sort of protection for the future and current crop of artists considering the advent of technology and how it’s being used against women,” the actor added.
Reiterating what she had said earlier, Radhika noted, “I had earlier told Nassar (actor and Nadi Sangam president) to have a strong committee that would include officials like lawyers and police so that artistes can trust that they can bank on this committee.”
“I spoke at the Producers Council about how it is the responsibility of the producers to provide basic facilities to women working on a film set. Facilities like toilets, changing rooms and caravans should be provided in the production. Women on sets should have a place to come forward and raise an issue if any mishap happens to them.
Voicing her support for victims of sexual exploitation in the film industry, she said, “I am surprised when men ask victims why it took them years to call out the perpetrators. How to understand the emotional pain a woman goes through during that period with her other responsibilities? This happens in every field, and as a corporate company has an HR department to handle such issues, we need the equivalent of trusted people.”
Citing a personal example, Radhika added, “I feel that such mischievous behavior has reduced, but that may also be because I have become a character artist now. I have sheltered young women at shooting spots who were harassed by men. There have been several instances where society has celebrated such criminals, which has disappointed me the most. Every heroine has a terrible story from the past, and seeing criminals celebrated by people feels like our biggest failure. When Sunita Williams is in space and Kamala Harris is running for president, I think it’s a failure of our society that we’re talking about this now.”
Reacting to the star barring her from commenting on the matter, Radhika said, “Your silence will be misunderstood. Imagine the relief it will bring to the women of this fraternity when a loud and famous voice says they stand with us on this issue.”
“I want people to let go of their egos and come together to work on big issues. Tamil film industry is good but it is also an unorganized yet organized industry. Almost all actors have political ambitions and before voicing the concerns of the society, start voicing your support for the women of your fraternity,” she concluded.
