Farhan Akhtar is one of the few Bollywood actors who has always been vocal about gender equality and feminism and believed in being the catalyst for change. Recently, when the actor was asked about sexual harassment cases in Bollywood, after Harvey Weinstein and Kevin Spacey scandals shook Hollywood, Farhan said that it was really important for women to feel secure and speak up without any inhibitions.
The actor said,
I think right now, the world over, the environment is such where all the women should feel empowered and secure to come out and share their stories. There is a constant dialogue on gender equality, gender discrimination across the globe. I think anyone who has their heart and mind in the right place, will support them.
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When asked if he ever came across incidents where women spoke about harassment in the film industry, Farhan answered in the negative. He said,
Well, not from the film industry that anyone has come up to me with such a story, but I do come across some such stories from different industries. It is true that such situations of molestation, sexual violence at workplace exist in all industries and it is not unique to one industry.
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Farhan said he would not ever deny a role to someone on the grounds that they suffered sexual harassment. He added,
If that person has come out and spoken about harassment, it doesn’t mean I won’t cast that person in my film. They are two completely different things and they should not be confused together. What we have seen in reverse is that when somebody has come out about people who have harassed them, there has been a reaction to it. Maybe it was not the one that you expect, but there have been reactions. If someone has something to share, this is the perfect platform to come out. You will be doing yourself and others a favour by coming out and speaking.
Well, Farhan has just repeated what many across the globe are saying and it is impossible to disagree with him. It is truly high time for victims of sexual harassment to talk about it, bravely and confidently.
(Quotes: IANS)
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