100+ TFI women demand MAA enact code after Shivaji remarks
HYDERABAD: The controversy over actor Shivaji’s comments on actresses’ attire has intensified, moving from an individual apology and legal summons to calls for industry-wide accountability. More than 100 women professionals in the Telugu film industry (TFI), under the banner “Voice of Women,” have issued an open letter to the Movie Artists Association (MAA), condemning the actor’s remarks and the industry’s silence on women’s safety.
The letter, signed by producers Supriya Yarlagadda and Swapna Dutt, actors Lakshmi Manchu and Jhansi, and director Nandini Reddy, marks the most significant organized pushback from within the industry.
The collective’s letter directly addresses Shivaji’s press meet remarks, calling his speech an act of policing women’s clothing that reinforces regressive, patriarchal narratives. They specify that his use of derogatory Telugu phrases and what they call an explicit physical threat could be an offence under Section 509 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) for insulting the modesty of a woman.
Their primary demand is a public and unconditional apology from Shivaji. The letter also criticizes the MAA and broader industry culture, highlighting the contrast between vocal moral policing of women’s choices and the muted response to actual threats to their safety, such as the recent mobbing incidents involving actresses Nidhhi Agerwal and Samantha.
“This raises a critical question. Why is there loud moral policing of women, but muted response when their safety and dignity are violated?” the letter states.
Looking beyond the immediate incident, “Voice of Women” has presented a four-point charter calling for concrete, systemic action from the MAA. The demands include a formal code of conduct prohibiting misogynistic or sexist statements by members with defined consequences, safety protocols to ensure strong security and crowd control for women artists at public events, mandatory gender-awareness programs for all industry stakeholders, and a public statement affirming that women’s safety, autonomy, and dignity are non-negotiable.
“Shaming women while ignoring harassment only normalises control and violence,” the letter argues. “An industry that thrives on glamour and visibility cannot abdicate responsibility when that same visibility puts women at risk.”
