Kerala’s newly announced Kerala State Film Policy, released on Saturday, aims to reshape the Malayalam film industry at a time when the sector is still reeling from the fallout of the Justice Hema Committee report. The report, made public in August 2024, had exposed the difficulties many women face in the industry and triggered an ongoing conversation about safety, accountability and workplace practices.
One of the policy’s most significant moves is formally recognising cinema as an industry and, importantly, as a workplace. That shift means labour rights, clearer contracts and workplace protections are expected to become standard practice across film productions. Much of the policy focuses on workplace reforms. Production units will be required to use model employment contracts that clearly outline working hours, overtime, maternity leave, rest breaks, and other basic facilities on set. Committees formed within industry bodies must also ensure that at least 30% of their members are women.
Addressing safety concerns raised in the Hema Committee report, the policy also proposes tighter control over drug use on film sets. Shooting locations will come under police supervision, while all production companies will have to establish Internal Committees under the POSH Act to handle complaints of sexual harassment. These committees will function under the oversight of a state-level tribunal.
The government says it also wants to improve gender representation across the industry. Incentives are planned for women entrepreneurs, alongside steps to increase the participation of women and other marginalised groups in both creative and technical roles. A central online registry of film workers is also being planned so that technicians and other workers can be linked to social security benefits.
Beyond labour reforms, the policy outlines several measures aimed at modernising the film ecosystem. A digital single-window clearance system will be introduced through a film facilitation office to help filmmakers secure permits, subsidies and other approvals more easily. Infrastructure development is another focus area. Plans include upgrading studio facilities, strengthening the state’s network of shooting locations and improving film archiving infrastructure.
The policy also proposes a centralised e-ticketing platform that will connect theatres across Kerala, with technical support from the Digital University. Authorities say this system will include monitoring tools designed to detect fake online reviews, paid downgrading campaigns and rating manipulation. Financial support for the sector is also on the table. Producers and theatre owners will be able to access low-interest loans from banks and other financial institutions. At the same time, the subsidy framework for films will be revised, taking into account factors such as production budget, the number of shooting days spent in Kerala, the involvement of local workers and the film’s cultural or social value.
The government has also indicated that it will consult local self-government bodies and industry stakeholders on possible changes to the entertainment tax structure. Among the options under discussion are abolishing the entertainment tax altogether or redirecting the state’s share of GST to local bodies to prevent what many in the industry describe as double taxation.
Finally, digital exhibition platforms such as Qube and UFO will be formally recognised under the policy, with clearer guidelines expected to regulate their role in film distribution. Taken together, the government hopes these measures will help build a more transparent, inclusive and technologically updated film sector that can attract investment while also improving working conditions for those within the industry.