Samantha urges Telangana Govt to publish report on sexual harassment in TFI

Telugu actress Samantha Ruth Prabhu has made a bold position on women in the industry by leading a campaign in demanding the government of Telangana to make public a subcommittee of the Voice of women housed within the ambit of Women in Cinema Collection. Samantha’s support speaks volumes regarding this matter and complies a lot towards the very core of the reason why this feisty Indian actress took up this cause in the first place – there is no excuse for abuse.

In an Instagram story that has surfaced lately, Samantha commended the work of the Women in Cinema Collective WCC in the state of Kerala that has been crucial in advocating the case of sexual harassment in the film industry and other areas. Her message read, “The women in the Telugu film industry make it known to you that we hear the wise counsel in the Hema Committee report and nothing but continue to praise the work done by the WCC in Kerala, a work which has lead us to this moment.” Comparing it with the advancement of Malayalam Cinema, which has the backing of the WCC, Samantha pointed out the crying need for such actions in the Telugu domain too.

Addressing the listeners, she stated ‘the voice of women’ came into existence in 2019 because of the inbuilt culture of WCC, who focuses on the Justice and safety of working women. Although the Telangana government had ordered a subcommittee to perform the task of looking at sexual harassment prevalent in the industry, in Samantha’s words, the report has yet to be made public. As stated by Samantha, this report formats could open the doors for certain possibilities such as a stricter stand by the government and the industrial heads towards policies for the welfare of women and also a workplace that is secure, courteous, and non-disrespectful to everyone.

The fact that it came from an influencer like Samantha Ruth Prabhu makes it all the more valuable in terms of advocate change in the film industry. It is easy to understand why Women in Association wants this critical issue to gain immense support from Samantha because, in doing so, she only elevates the concerns of women who want justice heard, but she too is compelling people to fight for the cause, to make the work sphere in Telugu Cinema safe and gender-friendly.