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tor, Farah Khan. Three women have said he would use the original
spoken about the harassment they phrase, except for the media. “I
#MeToo gathers momentum The faced at the hands of Sajid. These would do it except for these people
#Metoo movement is picking up include actor Rachel White, assis- up there. They would say, did you
in India and this too is encourag- tant director Saloni Chopra and a hear what President Trump said?
ing more women to come out with journalist. Saloni wrote in harrow- Did you hear what he said?” he said
their sordid experiences ing detail of harassment she faced imitating reporters.
at his hands, which included talk “So, there is an expression, but
of whether she would ever get a we’ll change the expression. Penn-
breast job done, how sex was really sylvania was always the person that
a mental connection and how she got away. That’s pretty good,” he said
was foolish in thinking that casting amidst applause from the audience.
couch was about one-time sex and
that it would end after that and how #MeToo was long due
he wanted her to be a director’s as- The Sexual Harassment of Women
sistant and not an assistant director. at Workplace Act, which came into
In the wake of the allegations, Actor effect in 2013, covers the kind of
Akshay Kumar, who just returned women employed on a contrac-
to India from Italy, has cancelled tual basis on a film set — actors, as-
the shoot of Housefull 4, which was sistants or technicians. Each film
slated to take place in Mumbai. The company, like other companies in
decision also involved the consid- India, is required to have an Inter-
eration that one of the actors in nal Complaints Committee (ICC) in
a hand on my thigh with lines like, the under-production film is Nana place. Ideally, all producers should
‘You’re so beautiful’, ‘Feel so good Patekar, who was also accused of come together and nominate one
that a musician got you (Ram) not sexual harassment by Tanushree member of their individual ICCs to
an actor’. I left not soon after,” Mo- Dutta. Akshay Kumar has made it form a new overall ICC. The com-
hapatra wrote. clear to the producers and kept his mittee should have a third-party
foot down that he will not work member not belonging to the film
9. Alok Nath: TV writer-producer with the accused until investiga- industry who makes sure there is
Vinita Nanda and actress Sand- tions are over, since the accusations no bias. In the absence of an ICC, the
hya Mridul have claimed that Nath are very serious and grave in nature. alternative for a victim is to go to a
“lunged at her” in a drunken stupor Meanwhile, Sajid Khan has officially local complaints committee. The
and constantly harassed her during stepped down as the film’s director. voluntary private organisations like
the making of a telefilm in the ‘90s. the Cine & TV Artistes Association
However, he has denied allegations Trump mocks (CINTAA) or the Producers Guild
of sexual assault leveled against Ironically, however, the US Presi- of India can pitch in to take legal
him saying, “Neither I am denying dent Donald Trump has mocked the action against the accused or file a
this nor do I would agree with it. It “#MeToo” movement, saying that he complaint on behalf of the victim.
must have happened, but someone needs to censor himself due to the They can also build moral pressure.
else would have done it. Well, I do rules of this movement, which is be- Along with industry members,
not want to talk much about it as ing enforced by the press. “There’s some people have taken more ac-
for the matter if it has come out, it an expression, but under the rules tive steps, like contemplating not to
will be stretched.” The incident took of #MeToo, I am not allowed to use work with those accused of sexual
place 20 years ago after a party at that expression anymore. I can’t do misconduct. The Mumbai Film Fes-
Nath’s house. The writer-producer it,” Trump said at a mid-term elec- tival, for example, has dropped one
alleged she was ‘violated endlessly’. tion rally in Pennsylvania, and then of Kapoor’s films from its lineup this
he pointed at the phrase “the girl year. However, more steps are re-
10. Sajid Khan: The latest in the that got away”. quired. It is time the moment #Me-
long line of well known personali- “It’s the person that got away. The Too gains more momentum so that
ties to be accused of sexual harass- old days, it was a little different than guilty meet their nemesis, evil doors
ment is director Sajid Khan, known Pennsylvania to it,” Trump said re- are punished and complaints given
for his films such as Housefull and ferring to the GOP’s inability to win justice.
Humshakals. Incidentally, he is the presidential elections earlier.
brother of another famous direc- Pointing to the media, Trump letters@tehelka.com

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