Ananya Panday says every industry should have a panel like Hema Committee: ‘There are bigger battles yet to be fought’

Ananya Panday has been receiving praises for her performance in Call Me Bay, which was her OTT debut. The actress attended the India Today Mind Rocks Youth Summit 2024, where she addressed the importance of a committee like the Hema Samiti and said that every industry should have such an association. (Also Read: Siddhant Chaturvedi refers to his viral ‘struggle’ comment on Ananya Panday’s Call Me Bay)

what did ananya say

According to India Today, Ananya spoke about the issue of women’s safety in the industry and said, “It’s very important for every industry to have a committee like the Hema Committee, where women come together and start something like this. It’s clear that women are doing this and no one else is doing it. And I think there has definitely been some change. As you can see, people are at least talking about this problem. However, there is still a long way to go. There are still huge battles to be fought.”

She further added, “I see that today we have certain helpline numbers, certain clauses in our contracts that ensure the safety of women and I think that is very important. Even our call sheets have helpline numbers. You can call them and complain. Even if you want to complain anonymously. But, I don’t think this problem is only in the film industry. It is important that we solve it as soon as possible.”

Last month, a redacted version of the Justice Hema Committee report on harassment of women in the Malayalam cinema industry was made public. It contains shocking details alleging harassment, exploitation and abuse of female professionals. The 235-page report, published after redacting the names of witnesses and accused, states that the Malayalam film industry is dominated and controlled by about 10 to 15 male producers, directors and actors.

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Ananya’s show is based on the story of billionaire fashionista Bey, who has to move on in life after being abandoned by her family. It is produced by Karan Johar’s Dharmatic Entertainment.

Call Me Bay is available to watch on Prime Video.