Casting Couch Controversy: How #MeToo and the Hema Committee Exposed Sexual Harassment in Indian Cinema

The Indian film industry, spanning Bollywood, Mollywood, and beyond, faces renewed scrutiny due to the #MeToo movement and the Justice Hema Committee report. Recent allegations against Kollywood star Vijay Sethupathi, accused of offering money for sexual favors, have brought the issue of casting couch practices back into the spotlight. The Hema Committee, formed in the wake of a Malayalam actress’s abduction and assault, investigated systemic sexual harassment in Mollywood. Although the report’s findings were initially shelved, its eventual release and subsequent revelations triggered a #MeToo wave, with actresses like Sreelekha Mitra and Revathy Sampath coming forward with accusations. Similar concerns are now surfacing in Tamil, Kannada, and Bengali cinema, with calls for investigations to address pervasive power dynamics and exploitation. The cases mentioned include the arrest of actor Siddique, the allegations against M. Mukesh, and the impact of the #MeToo movement, which was reignited by Tanushree Dutta’s accusations against Nana Patekar.