“This Has Been Going On Since A Lot Of Time And I Am Glad It Has Found A Certain Momentum Today” says Aishwarya Rai About The #MeToo Movement

Carnatic musician TM Krishna lauded the Carnatic music community throughout the world for coming together to declare that sexual abuse will not be tolerated. The musician through a tweet described the move that saw over 200 musicians join hands as ‘wonderful’.

Classical dancer and actress Swarnamalya Ganesh is the latest to have lent support for the #MeToo movement. She took a dig at the sexual predators through her tweet in which she evoked the occasion of Navaratri to make her point.

The Alaipayuthey actress stated that women weren’t merely goddesses perched on the stands and that they had finally begun to speak up. She also said that the society would be qualified to celebrate Vijayadasami when the men would finally learn to stop preying on women.

Aishwarya Rai, an actress who has been vocal about the abusive relationship she had had in her past, said there was no right or wrong time when it came to women opening up about their sexual ordeals. Terming the #MeToo movement “the need of the hour” she was grateful to social media for providing women with a platform.

About her tryst with sexual harassment, the actress at a private event in Bangalore said “I have always spoken out, I spoke in the past, I am speaking now, and I will continue to speak.” She said the time women that chose to speak up was immaterial, “When it comes to helping women find their voice, find the strength, feel confident about sharing their stories, it’s not about the current time. This has been going on since a lot of time and I am glad it has found a certain momentum today,” she added.

Anurag Kashyap spoke out in favour of comedian Varun Grover who has been accused of sexual misconduct. According to Kashyap, the comedian, who has worked with him on a number of projects including Sacred Games, Bombay Velvet and Gangs of Wasseypur was someone he knew so close and long enough that he refused to believe any allegations against him.

Actor Siddharth spoke out in support of the #MeToo movement. The actor responded to a social media user who said that the #MeToo movement, which saw Indian women naming their abusers on social media, was a nasty way of destroying someone’s reputation. Siddharth replied:

Then, he commented on the recent allegations against lyricist Vairamuthu. Several anonymous women have made public their experiences with Vairamuthu. Singer Chinmayi said that she was harassed by the lyricist as well.

The actor also urged men who had been unjustly targeted by the movement to fight and prove their innocence.

The Producers Guild Of India, led by President Siddharth Roy Kaput, also added it’s weight behind the movement. In a statement, the guild said that it will set up a body to make sure that work spaces across the film industry are safe for everyone.

Earlier today, Samantha Ruth Prabhu praised the women who spoke out about their own experiences with sexual predators as part of the ongoing #MeToo movement. She posted on her official social media account:

“I am happy that more and more women are finding the courage to say #MeToo. Your bravery is commendable. I am sorry that though some people, even other women themselves, will shame and question you with the question of proof and doubt. Just know that you are saving many little girls with your voice.”

A few other celebrities also voiced their support to the victims. Actor Rahul Ravindran pledged his support to singer Chinmayi who wondered if she’d find work after calling out poet and lyricist Vairamuthu for harassing a woman.

Actress and daughter of actor Sarathkumar, Varalxmi Sarathkumar thanked everyone who’s come out so far while also urging other victims to speak up.

Actress Ragini Dwivedi also pledged support to the movement.

Amitash Pradhan praised Chinmayi and asked survivors of sexual harassment and assault to open up about their experiences.

Director Prasath Ramar reacted to the #MeToo revelations on his social media account.

All India Bhakchod’s Tanmay Bhatt and Gursimran Khamba have been asked to step away from the comedy group they helped found until ‘further notice’. Khamba was accused of sexual harassment by a woman on social media. Tanmay Bhatt was said to have knowledge of this incident, but did little to address it. Following these revelations, Hotstar has decided to cancel the third season of their show, On Air With AIB. They made the announcement on social media earlier today.

Actor Hrithik Roshan reacted to the sexual assault allegations against director Vikas Bahl. Roshan worked with Bahl in Super 30. The film is scheduled to release soon.

Hrithik Roshan wrote on his social media account:

“It is impossible for me to work with any person if he/she is guilty of such grave misconduct…I have requested the producers of Super 30 to take stock of the apparent facts and take a harsh stand if need be. This is not to be hushed or brushed under the carpet. All proven offenders must be punished and all exploited people must be empowered and given the strength to speak up.”

Bahl was accused of sexual assault by a former employee of Phantom Films (that Bahl co-founded along with Anurag Kashyap, Vikramaditya Motwane and Madhu Maintenance). The production house was dissolved recently. Bahl has reportedly been dropped from an Amazon Prime Web series. He is also rumoured to have been cut off from the promotions of his upcoming film, Super 30.

Meanwhile, Maneka Gandhi, the Minister for Women and Child Development, came out in support of the ongoing #MeToo movement that has taken root in India. At a recent press interaction, she said:

“We should start something like #MeTooIndia in which any woman who is being harassed at any point of time should write to us and we should investigate,” she told the TV channels.

As for the people who wondered why it took Tanushree Dutta so long to speak up, Gandhi used the analogy of the Harvey Weinstein case. She said that the first victims who spoke up about the Hollywood producer also faced a barrage of questions from the media and the general population.

Image Courtesy: Cinebilla

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