Lettersnatcher

By Sarat Pratapchandran

Netflix says it’s “greatest impact is in storytelling.” India’s leading content producer is yet to hear stories of women in the Malayalam film industry who have been violated by the Weinstein’s of Kerala.

“India is the fastest growing Netflix market in the world this year and because of that, we’re able to continue to invest in great storytelling” Netflix co-CEO, Ted Sarandos said in an interview in 2023. There is no doubt Netflix has invested, produced and purchased movies from the Malayalam film industry.

Women make up 49.6% of the Netflix global workforce, according to their 2022 Inclusion Update. If women lead in the workplace at Netflix and feel included and safe, how can the content producer make money out of an exploitative film industry?

Sarandos and his VP of Inclusion Strategy, Wade Davis, a UN Women Global Impact Champion, a Ms. Foundation for Women and MeToo International board member must urgently study the Hema Committee Report and rethink the company’s investments in India.

Gender parity, inclusion and respect for women transcends borders. My request to Davis and his team is to closely understand the reality of how women are being treated in the Malayalam film industry. They must read the Hema Committee Report, perhaps the most authentic study on workplace discrimination, violence and sexual offences in any film industry.

It’s heartbreaking to see women actresses say “I was raped” on live television in Kerala every day. Netflix and Prime Video, leading content producers that invest in the Indian film industry have a social, ethical and moral responsibility to act and not remain silent.

Prime Video in India is second only to the US in driving members, according to Mike Hopkins, Head of Prime Video. In 2023, India had the highest percentage of Prime Members stream Prime Video than any other country in the world.

With 90 percent Internet reach, diverse languages and cultures, there is no shortage of content or storytelling for multinational content producers in India. However, it’s time that Netflix and Amazon take an independent view of how the Indian film industry is run on a daily basis and compare it to their own corporate Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) practices. They probably need to ask the question: What are we standing for?

I believe Netflix and Prime Video should pause and rethink before investing further in an industry where gender parity and respect for women is virtually non-existent. Meanwhile, it’s time for activist investors who believe in workplace parity and gender equality to reconsider investing in companies that remain silent to the plight of women.

An outrage against women in Kerala is an outrage against women everywhere.