Malayalam actor-producer Sandra Thomas claims KFPA expelled her in an attempt to ‘silence women’ from speaking up
The Kerala Film Producers' Association (KFPA) expelled actor-producer Sandra Thomas from the organisation over ‘baseless allegations’ against other members.
Malayalam producer and actor Sandra Thomas has been expelled from the Kerala Film Producers' Association (KFPA) on charges of breaching organisational discipline and norms. (Also Read: Manjummel Boys director Chidambaram says other industries' women 'won't come out' against abuse like Malayalam cinema)
Sandra had questioned the silence of film organisations, including KFPA, on the startling revelations in the recently released Justice Hema Committee Report about alleged harassment and exploitation being faced by women in Malayalam cinema.
KFPA serves show cause notice
Reacting to her views, the association had served her with show cause notice.
An executive committee meeting of the KFPA, convened on October 28, resolved that Sandra had been continuously breaching discipline and raising baseless allegations against committee members. The KFPA said in a recent letter to Sandra that her response to the show cause notice was also not satisfactory.
"So, it has been decided to cancel the membership of Sandra Thomas Productions and of you, as a person who represents the firm," KFPA secretary B Rajesh said in a letter issued on October 28, which became public on Tuesday.
Sandra Thomas reacts
Reacting to this, Sandra told the media that the association had expelled her despite giving a detailed explanation.
"Many women have been coming out with revelations in the wake of the release of the Justice Hema Committee report. I feel they (the association) have expelled me intending to silence all such women," she told reporters in Kochi.
She said if the experience of a producer like her is this, what would the situation be for a technician or artist who approaches such organisations with a complaint?
Sandra recently lodged a police complaint against nine association office bearers, accusing them of behaving objectionably during a meeting after inviting her to resolve a film production-related dispute.
Though the Ernakulam Central police booked them over her complaint in October, the producers rejected the charges.