Actress Tamannaah Bhatia’s upcoming Malayalam debut film, Bandra, with actor Dileep, who is one of the prime accused in the case of abduction and assault of his female co-star, has exposed the reality behind the glamorous curtains of the entertainment industry.
Dileep, who is also popularly known as the ‘Janapriya Nayakan’ (which translates to beloved hero), continues to deliver several hit films, in spite of his ongoing court case since 2017.
While addressing a press conference for Bandra, she described Dileep as one of the kindest actors she has worked with and someone who gives space for his co-stars to do their best. After creating waves in Tamil, Telugu, and Hindi films, she is ready to make a mark in the Mollywood industry.
Not unchartered waters.
It is not just allegations against Dileep that continue to get ignored by the entertainment industry. Several celebrities whose misconduct was dug up in the #MeToo movement of 2018, still lead a successful career, signing roles with popular industry names.
Filmmaker Sajid Khan was accused of sexual misconduct by multiple women in the #MeToo movement of 2018, including model Mandana Karimi and actresses Saloni Chopra, Aahana Kumra, Jiah Khan (as reported by her sister), and later by Sherlyn Chopra during his appearance in Bigg Boss Season 16 in 2022.
In spite of the horrifying allegations made against Sajid Khan, his glossed-over demeanour in the Bigg Boss house reclaimed his space in the entertainment industry. He now maintains good camaraderie with fellow contestants and social media personalities like Nimrit Kaur Ahluwalia, Sumbul Touqueer, Munawar Faruqui, MC Stan, and Abdu Rozik.
Meanwhile, one of Khan’s accusers, Mandana Karimi, who is a Bigg Boss Season 9 contestant herself, decided to quit Bollywood after his comeback, claiming that there is no respect for women in the industry.
Another Bollywood filmmaker, Luv Ranjan, was accused of sexual misconduct by an anonymous actress but faced little to no consequences. Ranjan, of Pyaar ka Punchnama fame, denied allegations while his leading lady Nushrratt Bharuccha came to his support with an open letter claiming she felt safe and protected around him. Ranjan’s recent projects have starred some of Bollywood’s most celebrated actors like Ranbir Kapoor, Shraddha Kapoor, Naseeruddin Shah, Ajay Devgn, and Tabu.
The pattern of “it didn’t happen to me so I don’t believe it” is evident in a lot of sexual harassment cases in the industry, which goes to show the vulnerability of being in a fragile business like media and entertainment. Artists continue to remain silent and work with reputed people with harassment allegations for the sake of career progression.
In May this year, singer Chinmayi Sripaada highlighted this pattern in a tweet addressed to actor-politician Kamal Haasan, questioning his silence on the harassment accusations against Vairamuthu.
Vairamuthu is a Tamil lyricist, poet, and novelist, who was accused of sexual misconduct in 2018 by more than 15 women, which he had denied. Additionally, Sripaada was banned from the music industry till October this year (five years), while Vairamuthu faced no consequences as several influential politicians came to his support.
There’s much the #MeToo movement has yet to accomplish, from stricter laws to real safety for survivors who speak out, many of whom still face harsh repercussions. However, the movement has sparked conversations, making sure people in power take cognisance and that impact is undeniable.
Views expressed by the author are their own
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