Writer-Editor-Filmmaker Apurva Asrani Speaks On Kevin Spacey & Sexual Misconduct In The Entertainment Business

There are many Harvey Weinsteins and  Kevin Spaceys  in Bollywood, though no one  is likely to come forward to  expose them for  the fear of ostracism

However Apurva Asrani feels  Hollywood exposes  would serve  the purpose  of  warning sexual predators.

Says  Apurva, “Any kind of sexual misconduct must be condemned and paedophilia is among the worst kind. Anthony Rapp’s brave revelation goes to show that men too can be victims of sexual abuse and also points out that not much is being done to protect boys from sexual predators.”

Apurva feels  the  expose will also helo Kevin Spacey in  the long run. “I am glad Kevin Spacey is exposed, so that he can also get help. We must understand that paedophilia is a psychiatric disorder which requires treatment. Paedophilia is termed pedophilic disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. It is officially a psychiatric disorder.”

As for the sexual predators  in Bollywood Apurva feels , “They should be exposed, so that they stop killing the dreams and the self confidence of innocents.”

However he thoroughly disapproves  of  media trials. “The problem is that we are trying the alleged abusers in the media and on social media before any proper investigation can happen. Do you remember how we had once pronounced the Talvars guilty and called for them to be hung from trees? Now the courts have declared them innocent. I request people to exercise restraint while the authorities do a thorough investigation. While sexual misconduct must be condemned in the strongest terms, we cannot condemn people without knowing the full truth. One news article or two tweets are not enough to draw full blown conclusions.”

So are  gay men more vulnerable  to  charges  of sexual transgression than heterosexuals?

Apurva ponders over that. “This one is a tricky question. One that I have no answer for. While I know that gay men silently and unfairly suffer a society that continually rejects them, I also believe that sexual repression can lead many to have psychiatric problems and deviant personalities.”

However this medical alibi does not exonerate Spacey and  the sexual  predators  of  showbiz. Says Apurva, “ Whether Spacey’s misconduct is born out of this repression or out of a sense of power I do not know. There is no excuse for this kind of behaviour. The psychology of a sick mind needs to be understood to eradicate the problem from its root, but it cannot be justified.”