film industry

Actor Farhan Akhtar

sexual harassment

MARD

Men Against Rape and Discrimination

Population Foundation Of India

In vindictive and scrutiny-averse, it’s unfair to place the burden of change on survivors. Those in power should take the lead.has spoken out againstin the film industry. “It is important for women who have been subjected to this to speak out. I think wherever there is an industry, wherever there is power dynamics at play, be it the corporate world or the films, there will always be these issues, unfortunately.”He added: “...if someone has an incident or a story to share, this is the perfect environment, world over, for you to come out and share it. You will be doing yourself a favour, other women a favour and even other men a favour... There have been young men who have said that they were abused.”Farhan Akhtar’s remarks, though well intended, appear to be misconceived and misdirected. I want to focus on two points he made: survivors need to speak out and the environment for speaking out is perfect.I don’t think it is fair to burden survivors with the duty of ‘speaking out’. At the risk of stating the obvious, survivors don’t speak out because the abusers and harassers are usually in a position of power. In a deeply patriarchal society, survivors risk stigma and damage to their careers if they choose to reveal the truth. In my industry, I have heard many male lawyers say they don’t want to hire female lawyers because “they will file cases against us”. Many female actors have revealed how their refusal to yield to harassment cost them work in the film industry. In view of this, Farhan Akhtar’s appeal to survivors to share their stories is rather odd.I am unsure about the perfect environment is he referring to. The developments in Hollywood do not make the environment perfect for everyone across the world, though they have brought the issue into much greater focus than before. The environment can perhaps never be perfect, but a lot can be done to improve it and to enable survivors to speak out. Everything that can be done towards this should be done by those in power — producers, casting directors and other major industry players. They should not view their own efforts as a favour to anyone but as what’s the right thing to do.I am not nitpicking on Farhan Akhtar’s words or imputing malice to him. He runs the platform), and has tied up with director Feroz Abbas Khan andfor the campaign ‘Bas Ab Bahut Ho Gaya’. They will organise Lalkaar concert on November 21to raise awareness on the issue. I am simply saying that the focus of this dialogue needs to shift to those in power. Producers need to assure their crew that if any member faces harassment, they should feel free to come forward and report the matter.I have spoken to actors across genders and they have suggested the following:1) All crew members should be made to attend workshops/training on gender sensitisation and prevention of sexual harassment. All contracts should include a document clearly stating the relevant laws, punishment under those laws and the rights/redressal mechanism.2) All casting should be done under CCTV cameras and with a contract, which states the rights of the person giving the audition and makes it clear that the audition is being conducted under CCTV cameras. The footage can be given to the actor on demand.3) The industry’s most powerful and prominent figures, who enjoy media attention 24/7, need to take greater responsibility about creating awareness. They need to address the issue over and over again, in interviews, at award functions and any public platform. Stop waiting for survivors to come forward.4) Create a legal aid fund to help survivors pursue cases against the offenders.This is neither a perfect nor an exhaustive list, but currently there appears to be no conversation or discussion about what people other than survivors should do to change the situation. Some people I spoke to mocked the list and said none of the measures would be implemented by an industry that hates change and scrutiny. I was told the measures are impractical and expensive.I believe no expense or effort should be spared to deal with the issue at hand. No expense is too much for protecting the dignity of the vulnerable. It doesn’t matter if producers don’t care for their commercial interest, they can clearly afford to do this. They need to decide whether they will let rampant abuse continue under their noses. If they do, we should assume they are complicit. I hope they will not wait for the perfect environment to take concrete steps. Dear people in power, I am looking at you.Write toat