Kashyap claims he had named, shamed Behl
Anurag Kashyap, who has drawn flak for not doing enough when accusations of sexual harassment were made against his partner in the now dissolved Phantom Films, Vikas Behl, has broken his silence.
On Sunday, he posted a statement on Twitter responding to the disclosures in a publication which had reported in great detail the unsavoury episode in Phantom Films when Behl – the director of Queen – sexually assaulted a staffer in her hotel room. The article had suggested that the matter had been pushed under the carpet by a dithering Kashyap.
In the two page statement, Kashyap said that he had taken a firm stand in the matter when it was brought to his notice, and it was him who broke the news anonymously last year to a newspaper.
Behl has been accused of sexual harassment by a woman who used to work with him in the now dissolved Phantom Films. Soon after the story broke on Huff Post, Queen lead actor Kangana Ranau also alleged that Behl had made her feel uncomfortable on several occasions. Behl, she said, often "bragged about having casual sex with a new partner every day."
“While others in the industry were only rumourmongering, it was me who was responsible for bringing out Vikas’ name
publicly by speaking with Mumbai Mirror on an anonymous basis and the publication eventually carried a front-page article about the incident. Nothing about it was under wraps. It’s been out there for more than a year,” read the statement.
He further added that he couldn't do much because the victim refused to lodge a legal complaint with Phantom, and also the studio’s contract did not allow him to go against his partner Vikas Bahl. ‘‘While at Phantom, I did everything I could, within what I was told by my partner and his lawyers. For legal and financial decisions, I was fully dependent on my partner and his team. They took care of those things so I could focus on what I did better, creatives. His word and his team’s word on any matter used to be the final word for us,” Kashyap wrote in his statement.
He also called the industry 'ill-equipped' in handling sexual harassment cases. “This industry is extremely ill-equipped to handle matters such as sexual harassment, copyright, censorship and all the things we put ourselves in the dock with. A large part of the reason for this is that there is clearly lack of correct advice and awareness of legal remedies,” he wrote.
Meanwhile, Nandita Das has been quoted by IANS as commenting on the recent Me Too movement which is sweeping across social media. "The hushed whispers are getting louder and are finally being heard," she said. "Unlike in the past when such discussions disappeared all too quickly from the media, this time it appears that more people are listening. Women at the work place and outside too often face harassment and violence that almost always goes unreported. Especially, though not only, when perpetrated by powerful men.
"I am adding my voice in support with the hope that more lasting change comes out of this," Das said.
The fire has spread from Bollywood and the comedy space to the news media industry as well, with a slew of journalists and editors being named. Now, as Shobhaa De puts it, there are people "waiting impatiently for 'Me Too' in Indian politics". "Who will cast the first stone?" De asked.