Anurag Kashyap: Sexual Harassment Survivors In Bollywood Must Speak Up!
Film-maker Anurag Kashyap urges Bollywood sexual harassment survivors to speak up and name and shame the culprits, just like how the Hollywood stars did.
Filmmaker
Anurag
Kashyap
says
the
reason
a
lot
of
people
in
Bollywood
have
remained
silent
about
sexual
harassment
at
workplace
is
because
they
know
their
opinion
will
not
make
a
difference
until
the
victims
come
forward.
The
#MeToo
campaign,
which
sparked
off
a
movement
in
Hollywood
late
last
year,
had
actors
along
with
people
from
other
walks
of
life
share
their
stories
of
sexual
abuse.
The
reportage
of
multiple
allegations
of
sexual
harassment,
including
rape,
against
media
mogul
Harvey
Weinstein
last
October,
was
touted
as
the
"watershed
moment"
in
the
history
of
the
entertainment
industry.
There
are
only
a
handful
of
Bollywood
stars,
who
have
spoken
about
sexual
harassment
prevalent
in
the
industry,
without
taking
any
names.
While
Hollywood
had
actors
naming
their
sexual
abusers
from
the
industry,
Hindi
cinema
chose
to
stay
silent,
thereby
inviting
criticism
from
fans.
Defending
the
industry,
Kashyap
said
artistes
weighing
in
on
the
prevalence
of
sexual
abuse
is
of
no
use
till
the
ones,
who
have
faced
harassment,
keep
mum
about
their
experiences.
"Anywhere,
a
campaign
like
this
(#MeToo)
will
be
successful
only
when
the
victim
speaks
up.
Then
the
people
can
stand
up
in
support
of
the
victim.
"If
the
victim
won't
speak
up,
then
no
one
can
speak
because
the
others
will
be
branded
as
disgruntled
people
trying
to
do
rumour-mongering.
It
will
be
a
total
failure,"
the
director
told
PTI
in
an
interview.
Kashyap,
in
fact,
slammed
the
media
for
being
"obsessed
with
Bollywood" as
"sexual
harassment
exists"
in
every
field.
"It
exists
everywhere.
Why
are
people
obsessed
with
Bollywood?"
the
45-year-old
filmmaker
asked
before
adding
the
film
industry
should
instead
be
lauded
for
being
the
first
to
acknowledge
and
talk
about
the
issue.
He
believes
the
fraternity
is
more
courageous
than
any
other
body
as
its
members
first
spoke
openly
about
it.
"I
think
everyone
needs
to
take
that
clue
and
find
that
courage
to
do
something
about
it,"
he
added.
When
further
pressed
on
the
issue
of
sexual
harassment
and
its
existence
in
the
Hindi
film
industry,
Kashyap
said
he
could
not
offer
his
opinion
on
something
he
did
not
know
about.
"When
I
was
19-years-old,
I
spoke
about
sexual
abuse
because
I
went
through
it.
When
I
had
to
speak
about
it,
I
did...
A
long
time
ago.
I
went
on
Aamir
Khan's
show
also
and
talked
about
it.
"So,
it
is
not
that
I
haven't
spoken
about
it.
I
did
speak
about
it.
Today,
I
have
stopped
talking
because
nobody
really
cares
about
the
movement,
everybody
cares
about
the
headline," the
director
said.