MeToo movement: 11 female filmmakers ask Bollywood not to work with sexual offenders

Filmmakers Zoya Akhtar, Gauri Shinde, Kiran Rao and more have formed a collective and asked the film industry to show support towards victims of sexual harassment.They have shared a note on social media signed by 11 prominent female figures of the industry and said that they will no longer work with ‘proven sexual offenders’.

The note, signed by Alankrita Shrivastava, Gauri Shinde, Kiran Rao, Konkona Sen Sharma, Meghna Gulzar, Nandita Das, Nitya Mehra, Reema Kagti, Ruchi Narain, Shonali Bose and Zoya Akhtar, reads: “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 same.”

Kiran and her actor husband Aamir Khan recently quit the Gulshan Kumar biopic after learning of sexual harassment allegations against director Subhash Kapoor. The couple released a statement saying they are stepping away from the project and extended support towards the #MeToo movement.

#MeToo movement hit Indian took flight after Tanushree Dutta accused Nana Patekar of sexual harassment on the sets of their 2008 movie, Horn OK Please. It was followed by more account of women accusing director Vikas Bahl, Rajat Kapoor, Subhash Ghai and Sajid Khan and more. Several actors, including Aamir Khan, Akshay Kumar, Hrithik Roshan, have refused to work with those accused of sexual misconduct.

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