Kerala MeToo Row: Samantha Prabhu Addresses Telugu Film Industry

Samantha Prabhu recently praised the Hema Committee report, which has prompted several actors in Kerala to speak out about abuse within the industry. She expressed support for the WCC’s efforts in Kerala and called on the Telangana government to release a similar report on sexual harassment in the Telugu film industry.

In an Instagram story, Samantha stated, “We, the women of the Telugu film industry, welcome the Hema Committee report and applaud the persistent efforts of the WCC in Kerala, which has laid the path to this moment.”

She further urged, “We hereby urge the Telangana government to publish the submitted sub-committee report on sexual harassment, which can help frame government and industry policies, to establish a safe working environment for women in the TFI (Telugu Film Industry).”

The 235-page Justice Hema Committee report, finalized in 2019, highlights the dominance of 10-15 male producers, directors, and actors in the Malayalam film industry. Although the committee was established in 2017, legal challenges have prevented the report’s public release until now.

Samantha believes Tollywood would benefit from a similar initiative and supports creating a Kerala-style committee in Telangana.

Samantha was recently seen in ‘Kushi’ with Vijay Deverakonda and will appear in ‘Bangaram,’ announced on her birthday. She will also star in Raj and DK’s ‘Citadel: Honey Bunny,’ alongside Varun Dhawan, Kay Kay Menon, and Sikandar Kher, set to release in November.