Farhan Akhtar Claims More stars Will Be Named by the #MeToo Movement
Bollywood has been left reeling as accusations of sexual assault have rocked the film industry recently. And Farhan Akhtar has praised the #MeToo movement for encouraging women to speak out about their own experiences. Speaking exclusively to Metro.co.uk, the 44-year-old is happy the ‘fear of God’ is finally being put into potential offenders. “What is very encour aging right now is that women are not feeling afraid to speak up about what’s going on with them, and what has been going on for a while,” the Bhaag Milkha Bhaag actor said. “What has happened now is going to put the fear of God into many people. “We’ve now seen there are going to be a couple of careers that will be over. I’m sure more will reveal itself, I really don’t think this was the lot, and there will be more. It’s about time that this happened.” Farhan – who is serving as an advocate for UN Women’s HeForShe campaign – also revealed speaking to people and listening to their own stories, left him in a ‘difficult’ position.
“It’s difficult being a man in the midst of this, because as a man, you can encourage people to speak up, but you can’t speak up for them,” he continued. “You can’t out someone, somebody has to find that strength because he or she has to then live with that story, share it every time someone asks. Do they want to go through that? Who knows. “It’s their deci sion. The fact is people are coming out, people are supporting them, and through them, encouraging more people to find the strength to be able to speak like they have. I hope more women speak up, and if there are more offenders, those names come out.
“You can’t do it for them. There are things you know, and you just hope the person who said it to you will find the strength, and come out and say what they have to.”
He also explained the movement should help us become more ‘vigilant’ with others, not just in situations on movie and TV sets, and in the music industry, but as a whole. “A person who you considered a friend is suddenly being named and you had no concept that he could ever behave in this manner,” he said.
We’ve now seen there are going to be a couple of careers that will be over. I’m sure more will reveal itself, I really don’t think this was the lot, and there will be more. Farhan Akhtar Bollywood actor and filmmaker