Taapsee Pannu feels actors back home aren’t speaking up on sexual harassment for fear of hitback
Actor Taapsee Pannu says the reason why female actors have not called out sexual abusers in Hindi film industry is because they fear being judged and shamed. The #MeToo campaign, which sparked off a movement in Hollywood late last year, is yet to arrive in Bollywood.
There are only a handful of Bollywood stars who have spoken about sexual harassment prevalent in the industry, without taking any names. Taapsee says “fortunately or unfortunately” she did not face any sexual harassment, otherwise she would’ve “probably helped” voicing it.
“It’s not that it doesn’t happen, it does. I am aware of it because I hear from people who tell me this but the same people probably aren’t ready to openly talk about it because there are a lot of taboos attached to it. They feel whatever little momentum their career has gained, because of this a lot of people will not support them; (they) will think this is a cheap way of publicity. Their ethics and characters will be questioned,” said Taapsee.
While Hollywood had actors are naming and shaming their abusers, the film fraternity here has been silent on the topic, thereby inviting criticism from fans. Taapsee says things are a bit complex here. “It’s not who was wrong and right in that situation. They will look at the person with a doubt that ‘you are exploiting this situation for your benefit.’ Especially for girls who have no family here or someone supporting them here. It’s not like that. So may be that insecurity really haunts them and that holds them back,” she adds.
The actor has currently featured in the short film Nitishastra directed by Kapil Verma. Kapil Verma said, “Nitishastra is a compelling narrative and an intense film, so it was challenging for me to showcase the story in 20 minutes. Both Taapsee Pannu and Vicky Arora have played their characters with perfection. I believe that Royal Stag Barrel Select large Short Films is the perfect platform to celebrate the short films and it has truly been the torch bearer for short films in the country.”
At the launch of the short film, Taapsee said she does not view the label negatively. “In this industry, for an outsider to have any image is a big thing. People do so many things, just to have an image, whether it’s through PR or films.”
“To have such a strong image, without any acting, off-camera, I feel blessed. The fact that my audience relates to me and has brought me so far, and you all have come to watch my short film, I think the image is working well for me,” she said.