MUMBAI/NEW DELHI : Women filmmakers from Indian film industry have joined hands to support people sharing their stories of sexual harassment and have decided not to work with any proven offender.
Critically-acclaimed directors such as Konkona Sensharma, Nandita Das, Meghna Gulzar, Gauri Shinde, Kiran Rao, Reema Kagti and Zoya Akhtar are among the eleven women filmmakers who have pledged their support to #MeToo movement.
“As women and filmmakers, we come together to support the #MeToolndia movement. We are in complete solidarity with the women who have come forward with honest accounts of harassment and assault. Our respect and admiration to them as their courage has started a revolution of welcome change.
“We are here to spread awareness to help create a safe and equal atmosphere for all in the workplace. We have also taken a stand to not work with proven offenders. We urge all our peers in the industry to do the some,” the statement from the directors read.
The list of the female filmmakers also includes Alankrita Shrivastava, Nitya Mehra and Ruchi Narain.
Meanwhile, in another blow for the media senior scribe Vinod Dua on Sunday became the latest high-profile name to be tangled in the #MeToo movement with filmmaker Nishtha Jain accusing him of stalking her for several days.
Taking to Facebook to give a detailed account, Jain said when she met Dua for a job interview in 1989, he told her a lewd sexual joke and stalked her following the meeting and also ‘slobbered all over’ her face.Jain said she would not be surprised if Dua denies the allegations as ‘he had always been opportunistic’. Addressing Mallika, the filmmaker said, “Sorry, Malika Dua, your father is also one who belongs to the hall of shame.”