Chinmayi opens up about the lack of action against harassment in the Tamil film industry.
Singer Chinmayi says there’s no chance of a Hema Committee-style investigation or a Women in Cinema Collective in Tamil Nadu due to political influence.
“I genuinely believe something as extensive as a Hema Committee report will not happen here. That is my only belief,” singer Chinmayi said in a chat with News18’s Showsha. Ever since the Hema Committee report was made public, the Malayalam film industry has been thrown into turmoil, with several actresses accusing top film stars of sexual harassment. Since the release of the report, there have been debates about whether a similar committee is possible in other film industries.
When asked about the same, Chinmayi, who has been making several allegations against lyricist Vairamuthu and Radha Ravi for the past several months, claimed that there is no possibility of such action in Kollywood. She pointed to the lack of concrete actions against Vairamuthu as an example. She also highlighted a recent statement by M.P. Saminathan, the Minister for Information & Publicity, who, while speaking about the Hema Committee report, claimed that no such complaints were made in the Tamil cinema industry like in the Malayalam film industry. Pointing out the irony, Chinmayi said, “That’s why nothing will happen here. It’s a cesspool of molesters with power bolstered by ruling parties and politicians.”
Responding to Chinmayi’s allegations, Radha Ravi, at the audio launch of Avathara Vettai (2015), stated that these allegations will not hold water in a court of law. “Anybody can make such complaints. I can also name two names on the go. I have studied law. So, I know. One shouldn’t encourage such allegations,” he said. In another interview with the Tamil YouTube channel Nakheeran, the actor again denied all allegations against him, saying, “How will they prove all these allegations? Some say there is truth in them. I am asking them to prove it. I will go for a defamation case when it comes to that. These are planned allegations, which can’t be proved.”
Similarly, Vairamuthu, responding to Chinmayi’s allegations, tweeted denying them. In a tweet made on October 18, 2018, the lyricist wrote, “Shaming innocent people has become a fashion these days. I have been shamed on several occasions recently. This is one among them. I do not lend an ear to anything that is not true. Time shall reveal the truth.” However, over the years, Chinmayi has maintained that the complaints were not probed in detail.
When asked if there is at least a possibility of forming an all-women body like the Women in Cinema Collective, which was instrumental in bringing out the Hema Committee report, the singer said, “No. Seniors here are women like Sowcar Janaki and Venniradai Nirmala. Khushboo Ma’am (in a chat with the singer on social media) asked, ‘Why so late?’ and according to her, Vairamuthu is a gentleman. Suhasini ma’am (in an interview with NDTV at the NAAM Charitable Trust’s fundraiser event in 2020) said, ‘It is a personal problem between two people.’ Kamal Sir platforms Vairamuthu. The entire music-singing fraternity platforms Karthik and Vairamuthu. Therefore, I have been disappointed before expecting people to do the right thing. I have no heroes. Except Rahman Sir, nobody has an ICC set up in their studios.”
She added, “Even if there were a committee or a report like the Hema Committee, they would award a clean chit. Take it from me in writing today—that is what will happen. No society or system with a conscience will ban someone for naming a molester and keep the molesters in power by having them head unions. Shadow bans aside, Tamil Nadu is perhaps the only place that makes banning possible and gives so much power to the film industry bodies because they are cartels. They have political clout. Which other shameless people will have someone like Radha Ravi as a union president? And in which country will someone like him be recruited into political party after political party? Earlier, he threatened, using DMK’s name. Now, he uses the BJP name.”
She further stated, “Carnatic musicians were named (in #MeToo) here. What happened to them? Nothing. All of them are politically connected. Tambras Narayan (who was called out in the #MeToo movement) is heading the TAMBRAS space. Brahmins won’t let him or the Carnatic musicians go.”
Since Chinmayi made allegations against Vairamuthu and Radha Ravi, she has been facing hardship in the industry. She claims to be under a shadow ban and doesn’t see it being lifted. “Six years since I have been banned, and it will take another 20 years for me to get any order. That’s how slow justice is. If I don’t die by then, we’ll see.”