Vinta Nanda Pulls Up Elnaaz Norouzi For Damaging The #MeToo Movement

Filmmaker Vipul Shah has been cleared  by  the Indian Film And Television Directors’ Association (IFTDA) of sexual harassment charges  leveled  at him by Iranian actress ElnaazNorouzi  who came out  alleging  that Shah had made  improper sexual advances towards her  when she approached  him for  a role

The  IFTDA simply cleared Vipul Shah’s name since  Norouzi failed to turn up at any  of  the  hearings to examine her  allegation.

 Writer Vinta Nanda who has accused  actor  Alok Nath of rape spoke exclusively  to this writer condemning  Norouzi  for  not taking her  allegations to their  logical conclusion.

 Says  Vinta, “If you belong to an industry and have placed your faith in it, then you must cooperate with the associations that govern your craft. If the girl(Norouzi) isn’t a member ofIFTDA then she should’ve urged CINTAA, if she’s a member there, to collaborate withIFTDA so that she could get herself fair justice. But if you don’t  cooperate it is not right. When you don’t cooperate it signals that you’re in the wrong, or that you don’t care.”

  Vinta  lauds the MeToo  movement  for bringing cases of sexual  harassment  out  in the open. “What the #MeToo movement has done is to shatter the silence that prevailed over exploitation of both women and men. It has forever therefore changed the way we view the issue of gender. Where there was no redress system in place, now it is there in every association and production office.”

Vinta regrets  the suffering  of  the potentially innocent casualties  of  the  MeToo movement.  “The industry has got its act together finally. However in the process there will be and has been some collateral damage, which is sad. For things to be fair across the board, everyone must cooperate. Those who don’t cooperate should then also not complain.”

While Vipul’s colleagues and  the film industry at  large have remained quiet over the allegations against Vipul  , one of his  actors spoke out in his defence, though anonymously. “I’ve never seen  Vipul behave inappropriately with anyone,  man or  woman. He  is asoftspoken well-mannered man ,a devoted  husband and father.That he would do something so  tacky is beyond my range of  imagination.”