"Let The Exploitation Stop Here": Khushbu On Hema Commission Report (Image-Instagram/khushsundar)
Since the Hema Committee report released, a series of sexual assault allegations have been raised by women against prominent actors in the Malayalam film industry. Survivors have been stepping forward with their experiences in the industry. With celebrities voicing out their opinions, actress and BJP leader Khushbu Sundar slammed stereotypical questions aimed at the women of the industry.
The member of the National Commission for Women (NCW) mentioned her personal experience of abuse at the hands of her own father. In a slamming reply to the prevailing question “Why now?” the actress highlighted the fact that the circumstances of the victim should be considered and not everyone is privileged to speak out.
Read Also: ‘MeToo’ Allegations In Kollywood And Its Impacts On The Industry
Last year, the BJP leader said that she was abused by her father at the age of eight and she started revolting against her father at 15, who then left her family in the lurch. Reminiscing her own experience, she wrote that the wounds inflicted by such violence could cut the soul deep and she revealed that “I was abused at the hands of the person who was supposed to provide me the strongest arms to hold me if I fell.”
💔 This moment of #MeToo prevailing in our industry breaks you. Kudos to the women who have stood their ground and emerged victorious. ✊ The #HemaCommittee was much needed to break the abuse. But will it?
Abuse, asking for sexual favors, and expecting women to compromise to…
— KhushbuSundar (@khushsundar) August 28, 2024
She also emphasized the need for the report to break the abuse. Penning down her rage over the issue as a mother, woman, and actress, she also called out men to stand by the survivors with their unwavering support.
She highlighted that many women didn’t even have the support of their families. They might come from small towns with stars in their eyes, hoping to shine brightly but often find their dreams nipped and crushed in the bud, she said.
And her final message read, “Let the exploitation stop here. Women, come out and speak. Remember, you always have a choice in life. Your NO is definitely a NO. Never adjust or compromise on your dignity and respectability. EVER.”
Read Also: Allegations And Resignations: What’s Happening In Malayalam Cinema
Some X users slammed the politician for her silence over the sexual allegations against Vairamuthu, a renowned lyricist in Kollywood. Playback singer Chinmayi was expelled from the South Indian Cine and Television Artistes and Dubbing Artistes Union, as a result. An X user called out the actress, “Were you sleeping or in deep amnesia when Chinmayi called out Vairamuthu?”
Moreover, the BJP member certified the lyricist as “Vairamuthu is the most dignified male she has ever met in her life,” while responding to Chinmayi’s accusations. Another X user wrote, “Did not open the mouth when part of NCW on more treacherous events, but now can write an essay.”
