People are calling it India’s #MeToo moment, but I feel that given India’s entrenched patriarchy and the way that Bollywood is overwhelmingly male dominated and controlled, this is far from the case. We still have a long way to go before exploitation and harassment by the mighty and powerful in the Indian film industry is well and truly called out the way the Harvey Weinsteins of Hollywood were. The way that Tanushree Dutta’s allegations of sexual harassment have been sought to be belittled, dismissed and falsified points to this very fact.
She spoke on a popular TV channel about what she endured 10 years ago. She says no one listened to her at the time; that she has been saying for a long time that Nana Patekar has always been disrespectful and abusive towards women.
Journalist Janice Sequeira narrates, in a series of tweets, an incident that occurred in 2008. She speaks about how actor Tanushree Dutta had spoken to her about sexual harassment from actor Nana Patekar on the sets of film Horn ‘Ok’ Pleassss.
When Dutta refused to work with Nana Patekar, her car was attacked, the windshield broken with her inside. At the time, she had filed a complaint with the Cine and Television Artistes Association about this for damages to her reputation and to her property.
Dutta also spoke about another incident where filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri asked her to remove her clothes and dance. Many have tried to rubbish the allegations.
While Dutta is said to have received a notice from Patekar’s lawyers, she has also received a significant amount of abuse and criticism on social media. Most typically she has received comments from disgruntled men and women who ask why now? Why not earlier.
There are those who are speaking out in favour of Dutta; even from inside the film fraternity. This is a telling indictment of a film industry that is known to be insular and protective of those it considers its own while being hostile with those perceived as outsiders. The industry has also repeatedly shown itself to be pusillanimous and craven when required to take tough stands; choosing instead to side with commercial interests.
Actor-filmmaker Farhan Akhtar also came out in support of Dutta saying that she didn’t just speak now; that she had also spoken up 10 years ago when she had ‘career concerns’. Many are of the view that the career concerns may well have been valid; Dutta never made it big in Bollywood’ whether or not this incident was responsible is of course open to question.
Priyanka Chopra sometimes speaks fearlessly about important issues; at other times not so much. This seems to be one of those other times. This response of hers is guarded and noncommittal; careful not to be seen to take sides or offer personal criticism. All it says is, survivors must be believed. The statement is silent on these particular allegations, the impunity of perpetrators in this case and in general.
Industry bigwigs have remained largely silent; particularly powerful men in the industry. Even those who otherwise speak about women's empowerment have remained silent on the issue. Amitabh Bachchan; who is rarely seen to take a stand on anything controversial or politically sensitive declined to comment when he was specifically asked to comment on the issue.
It is such a pity that the mighty and the powerful in the industry; people that command deference and clout choose to remain silent or equivocate on issues of import. I suppose everyone has their own personal and professional equations to maintain. Perhaps they don’t want to ruffle feathers or spoil relations… if they can help it.
Do you have something interesting you would like to share? Write to us at [email protected]
