Bollywood is a very safe space for women

 

                                   
            Filmmaker Imtiaz Ali offered a clarification for comments that he recently made about women’s safety at the International Film Festival of India. During a panel discussion, the celebrated director had claimed that the film industry in Mumbai is ‘a very safe space for women’. Several people questioned his qualifications to comment about women’s safety issues, and pointed out the scores of allegations that women in the film industry have made about being harassed and assaulted. Producer Vinta Nanda, who was a prominent voice during the #MeToo movement some years ago, accused him of trying to ‘whitewash’ the truth.

        In an Instagram Story, Imtiaz wrote, “Uh oh there seems to be a misunderstanding that I must clarify. I haven’t denied or disputed the tons of harassment cases that Vinta ji and many other friends have spoken about; in fact these incidents are deeply disturbing and must be dealt with severely and consistently.”

“I was pointing out that it is doubly frustrating that the entire film industry, all those hundreds of men on every set who are otherwise remarkably well-mannered, get a bad name for the acts of a few. Of course, terrible things have happened and continue to happen and they are shameful – as an industry and nation, we should have a zero-tolerance policy towards them. We have to uphold our honor together and regardless of gender,” he added.

                 At his IFFI panel, Imtiaz had said some days ago, “The film industry in Bombay is remarkable for the way it treats its women and I, as a man, have noticed this. If there are 200 people working in a unit, it is a very safe space for women.”

He chose to corroborate his point by narrating an instance of harassment on one of his sets. “There have been three times in my entire life that I’ve sent people (crew members) back, from different places, from different sets. I am happy that it’s only three. I remember once it happened on the sets of Highway. We were shooting on the rural highway with Randeep and Alia and there were no proper vanity vans back in 2013. Alia had to change, go for nature’s call in different, unusual places. Once I had to send this guy back from the set when he was trying to be around her during that time. So yes, it did happen with me as a filmmaker thrice, but not anymore. Times have changed, changed drastically. Actresses are really safe on the sets. It’s not like that anymore,” Imtiaz said.

In her criticism, posted on social media, Vinta Nanda had written, “Imtiaz Ali should stop pontificating about what women face in the entertainment industry. Naturally, a Kareena Kapoor is safe because she is privileged. And, he surely must know that the casting couch exists! Why has IFFI Goa selected him to speak on behalf of women? Is it to whitewash the truth? If men like him had the courtesy to abstain from speaking o a subject they have no experience about, one will believe that change is indeed taking place.”