Widespread Fear & Panic In The Film Industry Over Sexual Harassment Allegations

Who will be named next? This is the fear that grips many big-name personalities in Bollywood as more and more people are being named and shamed in the social media.

A prominent producer-director expressed the collective fear of the industry to me when he said, “You never know who will be named next, and for what reason. I can’t recall a single instance of misbehavior with any woman in my entire career of 40 years. I’ve always ensured I was correct in my conduct. But how do we when somebody would come forward to say something about my behaviour that I have no recollection about?”

Several top-name filmmakers have asked their office for CCTV footage of their interaction with actresses, “Just in case. I mean, I meet so many women in my office who come asking for work. What if one of them turns around to say I misbehaved with her?” says a filmmaker.

An immediate fall-out of the current atmosphere of naming and shaming would be a further reduction of direct  interaction between filmmakers and actors.

“All the casting-auditions would now be done by casting agents,” says a filmmaker.

But who will protect these casting agents from the wrath of embittered vengeful star aspirants who have nothing to lose by naming and shaming people in positions of power for wrongs imagined or otherwise?