Radikaa Sarathkumar
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Veteran actor Radikaa Sarathkumar, who, in the wake of the release of the K. Hema Committee report, recently came out with fresh allegations based on what she faced on the sets of a Malayalam film, spoke to the press on the raging issue of safety of women in the Tamil film industry.
Stating again that she did not want to name and shame the malefactors, Radikaa said, “I’ve seen those who have committed mistakes and have paid heavily for it. My colleagues and I handled it correctly when it happened to us, and as strong women, we don’t want to sound 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 used against women,” added the actor.
Reiterating what she had previously said, Radikaa mentioned, “I had earlier told Nassar (Actor and President of Nadigar Sangam) to have a strong committee that includes officials like lawyers and cops so that artists can trust that they can bank on this committee.”
“I’ve spoken at the Producer Council on how it’s the producers’ responsibility to give basic amenities to the women working on a film set. Production should provide facilities such as toilets, changing rooms, and caravans. The women on set should have a space to come forward and raise an issue if any mishaps happen to them.“
Voicing her support for the victims of sexual exploitation in the film industry, she said, “I’m aghast when men ask victims why it took years to call out their perpetrators. How will one know the mental agony a woman goes through in that duration, along with her other responsibilities? It happens in every field, and just like a corporate company has an HR division to handle such issues, we need an equivalent with trustworthy people.”
Citing personal examples, Radikaa added, “I feel that such miscreant behaviour has come down, but it could also be because I’ve become a character artist now. I have sheltered young women at shooting spots who were disturbed by men. There have been multiple instances where society has celebrated such perpetrators, this disappoints me the most. Every heroine has had a terrible story from the past, and seeing the perpetrators being celebrated by people feels like our biggest failure. While Sunita Williams is in space and Kamala Harris is running for the presidency, I find it our society’s failure that we are talking about this now.”
Responding to the inhibition of stars from commenting on this issue, Radikaa said, “Your silence will feel misconstrued. Imagine the relief it will give to the women of this fraternity when someone big and famous voices out that they stand with us on this issue.”
“I wish people let go of their egos and come together to work on major issues. The Tamil film industry is good but it is also a disorganised yet organised industry. Almost all the actors harbour political ambitions and before voicing out the concerns of society, start with voicing your support for the women of your fraternity,” she concluded.