Actress Poorna says #MeToo is an act of self shaming.
In an interview to Filmi Beat, the actress said that she does not support the movement. She said, “When something happens, we should react immediately. Reacting to the incident even after a month is useless. After the controversies and the reports, even my close male friends are scared and hesitant talking to me. The times when we each bantered and talked to each other on locations is now long gone.”
She added, “I think of this as an act of self-shaming.”
Globally, the #MeToo movement was powered by actresses accusing producer Harvey Weinstein of sexual harassment, and soon saw many women across industries and countries also charging men in positions of power with sexual harassment. In India, there were sporadic outbursts, with women accusing TVF’s Arunabh Kumar of sexual harassment, as well as venture capitalist and startup mentor Mahesh Murthy. This movement was intensified in India with Raya Sarkar’s list of sexual harassers in academia. Later actress Tanushree Datta accused Nana Patekar of sexually harassing her in 2008, and effectively getting her to quit the film industry.
The #MeToo movement in Kollywood gained traction when singer Chinmayi Sripaada accused lyricist Vairamuthu of sexual harassment. She said that said that she was asked to visit Vairamuthu’s hotel room after an album release event held in Switzerland in the year 2005 or 2006. After the incident, there were many women from the industry came out sharing their experience.
Poorna, who was last seen in Savarakathi, alongside director Ram and Mysskin will next be seen in actor Vemal’s Ivanukku Engayo Macham Iruku directed by A R Mukesh. Talking about it to FB, she said that the film is a comedy thriller in which she plays a rowdy police officer.
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She will also appear in the role of an Assistant Commissioner of Police who investigates the trail of clues left behind by a missing boy in debutant director T Ranganathan’s social thriller, Blue Whale. The film revolves around the mysterious disappearance of a young boy after he starts playing a dangerous online game without the knowledge of his parents. The actress will be playing a dual role in the film.
Apart from these, Poorna also has film with Mammootty titled Madurai Veeran and another film in Telugu with Jayapradha in which she plays both the mother, and the daughter of the actor.