letters
The Predator Citadel
ON E-MAIL Rakesh Sharma : This is with reference to your cover story (# MeMum , June 11 ). Society is a constantly evolving organism that can only progress by overcoming its biases . If prejudices cannot be overcome , we cannot call it the progress of society . So , how do we think of ourselves when we see the ugly saga of Harvey Weinstein unfold in front of us ? People thought that as society evolved in the 20th and 21st centuries , women were being treated more fairly . We were surely progressing . But those myths have been busted by the # MeToo movement .
Hollywood ’ s misogyny has been exposed to the world and , of course , Bollywood isn ’ t behind , but the spectre of silence still sits heavy on the grimy stories of exploitation in the Indian film industry . The whole # MeToo episode has also confirmed another thing : if one keeps on playing the victim and seeking justice , one may not get the desired results , at least in a foreseeable timeframe . Sometimes , matters have to be taken into one ’ s own hands and one needs to speak out .
After the courage several actresses showed in speaking about their abuse , Weinstein has been brought down . In India too , some names may eventually appear as a handful of women have started raising questions . But even if that happens , the problem is not likely to disappear . I ’ d like to quote a daily newspaper ’ s editorial on Pakistani cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan here : “ The sad part of a sexist world is that slander rarely sticks to a man . Women are the targets of social conservatism , while men who reject it can come back and richly profit from it ”.
Also , sexism is not just a man ’ s domain , women too are afflicted . Veteran Bollywood choreographer Saroj Khan ’ s comments on casting couch in the industry were shocking and deplorable .
June 11 , 2018
ON E-MAIL Vijai Pant : I want to congratulate Outlook for taking up the issue of sexual exploitation of aspiring actr esses in the Indian film industry — an issue hurriedly swept under the carpet every time it tries to make headlines . While Hollywood predators like Weinstein have been exposed in digital daylight , our film fraternity is so close knit and so dominated by a select few that it ’ s difficult for the victims to raise a collective voice against sexual exploitation . Those like Tollywood actress Sri Reddy who protest and take up cudgels against the industry are victimised and silenced . Moreover , the media is also guilty of not giving those at the receiving end a prominent voice . At the same time , the fact that some of these cases come to light after a long-long time also hints at a tacit und erstanding between both the parties , with skeletons tumbling out of the cupboards only when things do not work out the way they were anticipated .
ON E-MAIL J . N . Bhartiya : Casting couch is surreptitious illegal gratification , but its illegality lies in such a grey area that the truth is often obscured and modified to suit the powerful . Sexual gratification is sought as a bribe . Some protest , but many walk into the net under pressure or for perceived gains . Filmdom , an eroticised domain , provides congenial ambience , and the couch praxis is keener than in other industries , governmental or commercial . The primitive savage is also very much an embodiment of the modern .
MUSCAT Ramachandran Nair : Your cover story on the continuing prevalence of sexual predators in Bollywood and other Indian film industries in the light of the Hollywood ’ s Weinstein scandal exposes an open secret . It is as if exp loitation of women is an inherent part of celluloid culture , whether in Bollywood or Hollywood , and it doesn ’ t seem it will change anytime soon here . The pulls of the film ind ustry concern not only money , but also the call for glamour and an almost illogical public adulation culture . In such a scenario , new entrants are expected to put up with an almost regularised abuse . Since films have become a profession for many ambitious young men and women , the cut-throat competition means they often end up compromising on their values and identities — what happens behind the scenes is immaterial . The stakes are high , moreover , because of the public ’ s heightened involvement in the making and breaking of stars in this age of social media and internet . A good example is Sunny Leone ’ s recent visit to Kochi as part of an inaugural function . The city was clogged with the actress ’ s followers , comprising the youth and middle-aged people , who waited and jostled with tens of thousands just to catch a glimpse of her . one-liner
PUNE Anil S .
They are mum in real life , but the on-screen examples of sexual exploitation in films are aplenty .
4 OUTLOOK 25 June 2018