Actress Aahana Kumra Says The #MeToo Movement Diluted Very Fast In Our Industry. We Couldn’t Agree More
To say that the #MeToo movement was a short-lived victory in Bollywood would be an understatement. When it first began, way back in 2018, everyone expected this movement to revolutionize our entertainment industry. Needless to say, that didn’t happen. Yes at the time people found out about the pervy antics of men like Nana Patekar, Alok Nath, Sajid Khan and of course, Anu Malik. To name a few. They were asked to step down from their positions. Sajid Khan was made to quit a movie. Alok Nath was publicly called out. And then, just as we thought things were getting good, everything was quietly swept under the rug. It’s been a few years since the #MeToo wave hit our shores and now all the accused have resumed work. None of them faced any kind of consequences. And that’s exactly what Aahana Kumra is saying.a
Now, the reason I am dredging this all up again is that actress Aahana Kumra, in an interview with Pinkvilla talked candidly about the #MeToo movement. She said that the movement was diluted very fast and that nothing was done against the accused. Ahana also pointed out that the #MeToo movement was severely hampered by women who were using it for personal vendetta. And we completely agree.
Aahana said, “I think it got diluted very fast, it came and it went away. Nothing was done against a lot of people who were involved with the movement and there were lots of women who were violating the movement by bringing their personal vengeance into space which was not true. You’re throwing away yours and months of somebody’s courage of coming out if you are going to make it a revenge story.”
Also Read: Bollywood Is Making A Joke Of The Me Too Movement By Working With The Accused. Taapsee Pannu Says Keep Fighting!
Further adding, “The movement is about standing up against a certain thing which has happened to you. I think we are very far away because thinking about it, to bring a Harvey Weinstein down in America, 100 people had to speak again him. In India, where are we? Those directors are still being getting work. Everybody is out and working? Nothing has happened. Where is the Me Too movement? Now there is a change in behaviour though, of course.”
The only notable impact the #MeToo movement left was that it made people aware. The men in the industry are now aware that they will not get away with behaving inappropriately towards any woman. Which is a small victory, yes. But it still doesn’t change the fact that the men who were originally accused were let off the hook completely.
In the interview, Aahana was also asked if she had noticed a change in the conversation ever since women have started to speak out against these men. To which she replied saying that even though she has seen a shift in conversation, she isn’t sure how much of it is being implemented. Aahana also spoke about how the lockdown has made issues like domestic violence and mental health very relevant.
She said, “I think there has been a change in conversation, yes, not sure how much is implemented but I can say that there is a case of understanding that this is my line and I can’t cross that. Having said that, we are in 2020, we have been staying home and domestic violence has gone up. A lot of new things have come into the light and mental pressures have been brought into the light. So much more has suddenly become relevant in today’s time that people must understand that you cannot harass anybody, not cross the line when it comes to even work. People are becoming aware of it and that is a step one.”
We completely agree with her. Finally, someone from within the industry is talking about how the #MeToo movement failed all the women who came out with their horrifying stories. Sometimes I fail to understand the whole point of it all. Nothing came of the #MeToo movement. Just a whole lot of talk and no action. All the accused have gone back to work and the women who spoke out against them are out of work. Ironic, isn’t it?
https://thehauterfly.com/lifestyle/singer-chinmayi-shares-the-17th-metoo-story-against-lyricist-vairamuthu-why-is-no-action-being-taken/
