Better late than never, says Raveena on CINTAA panel

Not one to mince her words while voicing an opinion, actor Raveena Tandon was indeed an apt choice to become a part of the antiharassment committee formed by Cine and TV Artistes’ Association (CINTAA) to tackle various cases of sexual harassment that are being reported in the wake of the #MeToo movement in showbiz.

Happy with the formation of such a committee, Raveena says that she is ready to stand by those who suffer at the hands of sexual predators. “[These] cases had become so rampant and so many women were [just] powerless. I think this was beyond high time. A special committee should have been made a long time ago but the bubble had to burst at some point and somewhere the correction had to happen,” says Raveena, who will be sharing the committee panel with actors Renuka Shahane, Taapsee Pannu, film-maker Amole Gupte, journalist Bharati Dubey, POSH (Prevention of Sexual Harassment) lawyers and psychologists.

The actor, who has always been vocal about social issues, was among the top heroines in the ’90s, and she says that back then, there was never a go-to organisation for such issues.

“There is always the right time for things to happen and now there is universal support on this issue. Earlier, if anyone spoke up, the support would be very half-hearted and sporadic. It wouldn’t even have made the kind of difference that it is making now. Though I believe this should’ve happened a long time ago, nonetheless, it’s better late than never,” she adds.

Asked if the committee has set any rules so far, Raveena informs, “We have met and discussed [a few things] but we haven’t made anything official. CINTAA is mostly about protecting the actors but we are also reaching out to the director’s guild and have a united front. This is basically to make this industry a safer place for women so that they don’t get targeted.”

As the #MeToo movement continues to gain momentum, one wonders if Bollywood will now be a safer place for women to work. “I don’t think it’s going to get cleaned up completely. There are still a lot of girls who are quiet, but there definitely is some fear in people. There is a chance for them to be exposed, so they will behave themselves,” answers Raveena, adding, “What horrifies me is that we are all part of the industry internally but imagine the number of girls who come from outside and have to suffer at the hands of casting directors or other agents. We will go out of our way to help them.”

What horrifies me is that we are all part of the industry internally but imagine the number of girls who come from outside and have to suffer at the hands of casting directors. RAVEENA TANDON, ACTOR

Raveena Tandon