A make-up assistant working in the Malayalam film industry was arrested and released on bail on a complaint filed by a make-up artist. She alleged that he touched her inappropriately and filmed her without her consent on a film set.

The Infopark police in Kochi have booked the accused, identified as Charuth Chandran, under section 354 (assault or criminal force against woman with intent to outrage her modesty), 354a(1)(i) (physical contact and advances involving and unwanted ). explicit sexual overtures) and 506 (criminal intimidation) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

Charuth was taken into custody on Wednesday, October 30, after being summoned for questioning by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) formed to probe the cases registered following the publication of the Hema Committee report. A local court later granted him bail on the same day.

The complainant in the case, who earlier spoke to TNM about several instances of harassment she had to face on various sets, said she initially approached the All Kerala Cine Makeup Artists and Hairstylists (AKCMH) union with a complaint against Charuth and another makeup artist but was blocked by the union. AKCMH is one of the 21 unions affiliated to the Film Employees Federation of Kerala (FEFKA).

“I was threatened and intimidated by the union, claiming that I would lose job opportunities if I continued with sexual harassment complaints. In the end I had to let them go. It was only after the Hema Committee report was published that the SIT got involved and they started taking our complaints seriously,” she told TNM.

Two other prominent makeup artists and , were recently booked in similar cases based on the depositions of another plaintiff. TNM earlier reported how the male monopoly in film makeup has made it an increasingly unsafe space for female workers, as their jobs are often at the mercy of men who wield power over them and use it to their advantage .

After the release of the Hema Committee report, which exposed abuse of power in Malayalam cinema, many women in the industry came forward and publicly shared the traumatic experiences they endured at work.