Beyond the Glamour: Exposing the Dark Side of Indian Cinema – Casting Couch, #MeToo, and the Fight for Justice

The sheen of the Indian film industry is being tarnished by a series of accusations and revelations. Allegations against Vijay Sethupathi are the latest in a string of controversies highlighting the prevalence of the casting couch. The #MeToo movement and the Justice Hema Committee report are key drivers of this industry-wide reckoning. The Hema Committee, established to address the systemic issues within the Malayalam film industry, exposed widespread sexual harassment and gender inequality. The delayed release and redactions of the report sparked outrage, eventually leading to new accusations. The cases of Siddique and M. Mukesh further illustrate the scope of the problem. The #MeToo movement, led by Tanushree Dutta, also exposed the problems in Bollywood. The industry is now facing renewed calls for accountability and reform, as actresses and activists demand investigations and advocate for safer working environments across all film industries, from Tamil to Kannada to Bengali cinema.