MORE NOISE THAN CHANGE, FEELS MALAIKA
Actor Malaika Arora doesn’t see a lot of real benefit yet in the #MeToo movement, as it stands in India
The #MeToo movement in India has shaken up the entertainment industry, with big names facing accusations — and their consequences. But actor and TV personality Malaika Arora feels real change is yet to come.
“I don’t see too much of a change. I hear people. I think there’s more noise than change,” says Malaika, when asked for her opinion. The #MeToo campaign, started in 1998 against all kinds of sexual assault and harassment, really went global after a New York Times report in October 2017 about the alleged wrongdoings of Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein. Since then, several Hollywood careers, including Weinstein’s own, have taken a big hit, as women have come forward to speak up and even take legal action.
“If we’re talking about this industry (in India),” says Malaika, “one is seeing a lot happening. People are talking about it. But for actual change to happen, or for people to sit up and do something about it and actually make a movement out of it, the mindset has to change — and people’s mindset can’t change overnight.”
The #MeToo wave swept into Bollywood after actor Tanushree Dutta recounted an unpleasant episode with veteran actor Nana Patekar on the sets of the film Horn ‘OK’ Pleassss (2008). Following this filmmakers, actors, singers, and composers, such as Sajid Khan, Vikas Bahl, Kailash Kher, Rajat Kapoor, Alok Nath, and Anu Malik have been named for using their position to exploit the vulnerable.