Page 115 - October 2018 converted

richa chadha: i Scoff when

beneficiarieS of caSTing couch

SpeaK abouT #meToo movemenT

icha Chadha, who was one of the first actors to talk about the existence of sexual harassment in Bollywood, says she finds it
ironical when people who have benefited from the practice of casting couch, begin calling it wrong on public platforms in the

Rpost #MeToo time.
“Now I see a lot of beneficiaries of casting couch talking about it. They go like, ‘Oh! It’s so wrong!’ I scoff,” the actor told in an interview.
Since multiple allegations against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein surfaced last November, the social media campaign ‘#MeToo’

has brought to the fore alleged incidents of sexual harassment across the world. The campaign, however, never picked up steam in
India.

The Love Sonia actor blames it on the lack of
infrastructure in Bollywood to protect its women.

“Indian actors don’t have a strong union. They
don’t have a legal help. If some woman gets up

one day and says a name, I can write it down on
a paper and sign it that no one will hire her again.

“For your scoop, she will give out a name and
then who will support her? Who is going to take
care of her family? No one’s going to do it till you

put that cushioning, safety net. Even if there is a
working actor (who speaks about it), they will be
people who get royalty for the stuff that they have

done, assuming they will not get hired again,”
Richa Chadha said.

The actor further said that no one realises
the opportunity cost for a woman to name her
abusers. “I have written about the opportunity

cost of sexism. It takes six Oscar winners to tell
the world that this guy (Weinstein) is a douche.

Didn’t we know that already? As a journalist, you
also know who these dirty scumbags are.”

While she cannot speak for the rest of the industry.
Richa is clear that she doesn’t collaborate with
men who are known predators. “I don’t work with

those people. I just feel I could not (compromise).
I just can’t. What will I lose? Money? Doesn’t
matter.”

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