Sandra had earlier come out against the association in connection with the release of the Justice Hema Committee Report.
Published Nov 05, 2024 | 1:57 PM ⚊ Updated Nov 05, 2024 | 2:56 PM
Sandra Thomas. (Supplied)
The Kerala Film Producers Association (KFPA) expelled producer Sandra Thomas from the league alleging that she violated the norms of the association.
Sandra had earlier come out against the association in connection with the release of the Justice Hema Committee Report.
She had criticised the association for not taking a stand in light of the Hema Committee report.
Previously, Sandra alleged that association officials spoke derogatorily to her during a meeting about film distribution, following which she filed a police complaint against the association members.
According to a report from OnManorama, the producers association sent a letter to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan’s office claiming that the producer had filed a false case against the members of the executive body.
Sandra had also alleged that the association is functioning in accordance with the whims and fancies of certain individuals and that none others have a say in the association.
Following that the association sought an explanation from her and then a show cause notice was also issued. The association said that the explanation given was unsatisfactory hence the expulsion.
Sandra had also written an open letter, which read: “I feel deeply angry and saddened to know that the sector where I work is a place where so many misogynistic and inhumane activities are taking place. Therefore, there should be fundamental changes in the workplace. A strict rule should be introduced that those in positions of power should not be influential, clear political party activists, caste organization office bearers, or organization office bearers related to the film industry. Crimes of a criminal nature that occur on film sets or studios should be reported to the police station itself, without settling them within the organizations.”
The Kerala government constituted the Justice Hema Committee after the 2017 actress assault case and its report revealed instances of harassment and exploitation of women in the Malayalam cinema industry.
The publication of the Justice K Hema Committee report opened a can of worms with several female actors stepping forward with disturbing accounts of the mistreatment they faced at the hands of their various male counterparts.
The Hema Commission report was made public on 19 August, five years after it was submitted to the Kerala government.
(Edited by Sumavarsha Kandula, with inputs from Dileep V Kumar)
