The times are changing in Hollywood. The whispers of sexual misconduct and assault against famous actors and directors that were once heard in hushed tones at sets and events, have now become shouts. Women are coming forward; men are being fired; and revolution is in the air. If you do something wrong, whether you are Kevin Spacey, Woody Allen, or Harvey Weinstein, there will be consequences.
But is Bollywood ready to listen to those who have faced such situations on home ground?
The truth of the matter is that people don’t hear you if you’re inconsequential, Kalki speaks in a video by BBC. “No one is reporting and no one is researching because there is no famous person to headline it.”
The gender rights activist is getting ready in the video, answering questions in the camera, and talking about why people don’t talk about sexual harassment in Bollywood. “It’s a very difficult step to take because it’s their career on the line,” she reveals. With so many opinions, it can shake you emotionally. But the struggles are not just for the actresses who make headlines when they say too much. There are also countless other women, behind the cameras, newcomers going to auditions, who face body shaming and are hit on.
Have we accepted sexual assault as a part of our lives? It’s become so common that we have started to believe it’s normal. “We are just so numb to it. If you get touched in a bus, we don’t even think about it,” she says.
This isn’t the first time that Kalki, among other Bollywood women, has been vocal about sexual assault. The actor has voiced her opinion several times on women’s rights and sexual abuse – she even shot a satirical video, ‘It’s Your Fault,’ that highlighted victim blaming and raised some important questions in her video, Noise. In an interview, she spoke about her sexual abuse at the age of 9 and encouraged people to talk about it.
In the end of the video, the actor urges men and women to have a dialogue with – not against – each other.
It’s important that men know about the situations that women are facing in the country today and that can happen only when we talk to each other.
Let’s hope more people from the glamour world step up and take the stage. The time is now.
Watch the full video here.