Actress Priyanka Chopra says people like controversial Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein are present across the world
Priyanka slammed Weinstein and spoke about women empowerment at the 2017 Marie Claire Power Trip earlier this week. Asked whether there’s a Harvey Weinstein in India, Priyanka said: “I don't think there is and I don’t think there is only a Harvey Weinstein in Hollywood. I think there will be a lot more stories that will come up.”
She believes that this phenomenon is present across the globe. “That happens not just in India, but all over the world. It’s the power of men trying to take away the power of women. It’s about feeling powerful and macho.”
Weinstein has been accused of sexual harassment or abuse by more than three dozen women, including several top actresses including Gwyneth Paltrow, Cara Delevingne, lupita Nyong’o and Angelina Jolie.
“We watch the news and look for things that will be positive and that the world will be in a better place. But the reality is, the world is not. It’s not just about sexuality. It's not about sex. It's about power,” Priyanka said.
The former Miss World also spoke against the “big boys’ club” and said because of it women are scared that a misstep might put them at risk of losing a role.
“It’s an isolating feeling. The easiest thing to take away from a woman is her work,” she said.
Priyanka, known in the US for Quantico, added: “So what if I’m in heelsIJ So what if I wear a dressIJ We’ve been told our femininity is our weakness, but it is not. We can be compassionate. We can be tough. When you open your mouth, you deliver.”
Meanwhile a few days back, actor Tisca Chopra added another dimension to the entire controversy. Tisca Chopra advised women not to put themselves in a vulnerable position, and to say no clearly rather than feebly.
Tisca said, “I’m going to be very categorical when I say that women are just as much to blame, because they put themselves in those vulnerable positions. Why do these women go to hotel roomsIJ Do they not fear for their personal safetyIJ Have they not heard of people’s reputations, and why do they engage with those menIJ”
“Being a woman, I would say that first of all, protect yourself. Don’t put yourself in that position. The more women start saying flat-out “no”s, the more these men will understand that this is not the way, this is not going to work,” she said. “What is happening in Hollywood is largely 30 years of somebody becoming a blatant predator. People, by and large, say “chance maaro, how can it hurt to ask”. Unless somebody says “no”, and the kind of “no” you say, and the manner in which you say it should convey that it is completely unacceptable to even ask this question,” she added.
She even advises women to not take short-cuts.
“Don't let your career hang in the balance. Work hard on your acting, take a little longer to build your career, don't take any shortcuts,” she said. Tisca is known for her roles in movies like Taare Zameen Par and Hyderabad Blues.
The actress herself has faced traumatic experiences of sexual harassment in the past when she was invited to a hotel room by a top producer-director who had ulterior motives.