Film Chamber Panel to Probe Poonam’s Sexual Assault Claims Against Trivikram

Hyderabad: Following allegations against Tollywood choreographer Jani Master, actress Poonam Kaur alleged sexual assault against her by noted director Trivikram Srinivas. She took to ‘X’ and pointed out the inefficiency of the Movie Artistes Association on the matter even after bringing up the incidents to their knowledge.

Members of the Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce (TFCC), producer T. Tammareddy Bharadwaja and anchor Jhansi, stated that the POSH (Prevention of Sexual Harassment) committee was looking into the issue and would submit a report in 90 days.

The actress said that had MAA taken her complaint seriously, she and many others like her wouldn’t have had to face political suffering. “I was rather silently ignored,” she said. “I want industry big wigs to question director Trivikram.”

Jhansi added, “We understand that it is not just sexual harassment at the workplace but something more serious and grievous because she was a minor at that point of time. It needs a different mechanism and legal support.”

Bharadwaja said, “The incident is being investigated by the committee, which will look into evidence and structural proofs. This platform should be a safer place for the artists to come and work. We are doing our best to make the industry a safer place to work.”

The Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce released a press note saying, The panel has received a complaint from a female choreographer who is a member of the Telugu Film and TV Dancers and Dance Directors Association against a popular choreographer. The committee is constituted to address this case and the enquiry is in process The committee has given an interim report to put the alleged male choreographer's president post in Union, to be put on abeyance until the enquiry is complete.”

Support began pouring in for the assault victim. The Telangana All India Feminist Alliance (ALIFA) appreciated the victim's courageous step in filing the complaint against the well-established choreographer, Jani Master.

ALIFA, pointing out that the Telugu film and television industries were notorious for their misogynistic content against the women and sexual exploitation, stated in a release: “Television channels have been reported to the National Broadcasting Corporation multiple times for their anti-women and anti-sexual minorities programmes.”

It said Sri Reddy’s protest in 2018 motivated many dialogue artists to come out with their stories of exploitation in the Telugu film industry in the name of ‘commitment contracts’. “Due to lack of support from the industry, no police complaints were filed,” the association said.

The high-level committee to inquire into sexual harassment and gender discrimination set up in 2019 inquired into both these industries and gave recommendations in 2022. In the light of the Justice Hema committee report in the Malayalam film industry, the HLC report is also getting discussed, the association said.

ALIFA demanded that Telugu media and YouTube channels stop revealing the name and details of the victims and the authorities take cognisance in the issue and act upon it.