‘PEOPLE WILL GET WORK ON MERIT AFTER #METOO’

Actor Karan Wahi says powerful people will now think 20 times before misusing their positions

The #MeToo movement in Indian entertainment — exposing sexual abuse or misconduct by people in positions of power — has mostly been supported by male industry names, though some have also expressed concern that this might show the industry in a bad light.

Actor Karan Wahi, who has worked in television for more than a decade now, is not only supportive but also feels that #MeToo in India will promote merit. He says, “Luckily, I haven’t faced anything of this sort, because when I came to Mumbai (from Delhi), I already had a show (Remix) in hand, and that became a big hit. After that, people approached me [for work] in a different way. I wasn’t a so-called ‘newcomer’ who didn’t know about the fraternity. I’m glad that something like [#MeToo] has happened. At least people will get work on merit.”

The reason merit will now have room to rise, adds Karan, is that the powerful can’t so merrily exploit the vulnerable any more. “People out there who are still in that frame of mind — that they can use their power in a wrong way — will now think 20 times before trying that rubbish,” he states.

Karan points out something that others have said: sexual harassment is rampant, and not just in entertainment. “Ours is more highlighted, because [we] get talked about. It’s not that if you’re [only] a part of the [film] fraternity, you use your power in a wrong way,” says the actor. “If you’re the CEO of a company, [then, too] you could do that.”

While he supports #MeToo, the actor wouldn’t comment on any allegation, “until someone does that in front of me or I have definite proof [that] someone is doing this”. He adds, “If it happened to anybody, I’d be the first person to raise my voice.”

Actor Karan Wahi says that he’d protest if he witnessed harassment