Out of many Bollywood bigwigs we tried to connect with, only actor Imran Khan agreed to talk. He usually keeps away from the media glare but was surprisingly open about the Me Too Movement India is witnessing right now. Imran did open up to a newspaper of knowing about Vikas Bahl earlier. When we got talking, it wasn't the actor Imran but Imran Khan the member of the big Bollywood industry who spoke to us honestly. He was very vocal about how he is fed up and bothered with the silence that Bollywood still chooses to hold amidst all the sexual assault allegations. Read the excerpts of the interview and why he thinks that Bollywood will never witness the Me Too Movement.
PinkVilla: When did you get to know about the Vikas Bahl story and why didn't you speak up earlier than this?
Imran Khan: This story was doing the rounds within the film industry literally for about 2 years. I don't know who the girl is and also her name hasn't come out. The initial newspaper report came out last year I believe and by then everyone had heard about this. Nothing has been proved right now but it was an open secret in the industry and no one did anything about it. That is what troubled me. A couple of my friends have been a victim of sexual assault, both industry and non-industry friends. When we were kids a friend of mine was subject to sexual assault of a grave manner, that wasn't an industry friend but even the actresses I have worked with, it has happened to them too. These things bother me at a very visceral personal level. So I would have this conversation with people and say we have heard the story and what is the deal and they would say 'aree don't worry, don't say that', everyone would become very uncomfortable and avoid any eye contact with me because we don't talk about these things. It is the film industry and close to the ranks, we don't admit anything. We are talking about sexual abuse, we are talking about sexual assault and you can't turn a blind eye. I have seen and heard enough of these stories over my 10 years in the industry. Unfortunately these are not my stories to tell so I can't take names and go into the details but I know I have seen it and I have seen the reaction of everyone around and all the times I have tried to speak and say you should complain about this and this is unacceptable, I have been told by everyone around me don't speak about this publicly, this will go bad. People will attack you, the industry won't support you, people will abuse you of being publicity hungry, all of it.
PinkVilla: Now that you have spoken up, people think that you are doing it to gain limelight and come back into the news. What do you have to say about it?
Imran Khan: This is a very popular defence that this person wants publicity, especially when you are talking about sexual assault, it is the most small-minded defence what you can think of. If you truly believe that someone is so desperate for publicity that they will out themselves as the victim of sexual assault then you are a very sick and a deranged person. It shows your small mindedness.
PinkVilla: Is this hypocrisy of Bollywood that has put you off and hence we don't see you mingling with your contemporaries or your colleagues?
Imran Khan: That's more of a personal thing. Working in Bollywood means you are trying to maintain a Bollywood stardom. Acting is different, stardom is different. In order to maintain your Bollywood stardom, you have to socialise. Party with directors, producers, actors and get journalists to write good things about you. All of this takes a lot of time and energy which I am not interested in doing. I am interested in the craft of filmmaking. More than anything, from the beginning of the career I have kept my personal life away. I am not interested in partying with the industry people three nights a week. I don't want to be with the correct set of people at the correct place, I have my own things to do, I have my own life. But coming to your context, the sexism in the industry, it is an open secret of how things go to a point. In every film, you will see systematic sexism. It might be at a very small level, it might be at a level where people on the sets might not even realise unless you are attuned to it and it can go far far far worse.
Pinkvilla: But there have always been names that float around when we hear of sexual misconduct incidents that happen in Bollywood? Have you ever witnessed or know of a big actor who has taken advantage of female actors?
Imran Khan: There is a very very very clear quid pro quo with a lot of A-listers. Are you going to sleep with me? If yes you get the role, if no you don't. It is literally that straightforward. Which of these actresses will sleep with me they will get the role. But why name only recent actors, go back 40 years, the biggest directors/producers have all done it, their names have never come out and they will never come out either. The fact is even within the industry whoever speaks out they will be attacked or will be marginalised. I am a man who has faced none of these issues but I have witnessed it. I am in a position where no one has molested me or nothing bad has happened to me even though when I speak out now I am afraid that there will be a section of the media who will turn it against me, a section of the industry or the public who will turn it against me. But imagine the position of the woman who has been a victim who does not have the kind of backing that I have. I come from a film family, I have a lot more support around me. Imagine you have none of these things and if you are a woman who has been attacked, molested or raped, your career is over your life is over. You are trying to get justice and the world is turning on you. I cannot stomach that. I have far fewer things to lose, the least I can do is stand up and say look I will stand with you.
PinkVilla: Why do the biggest names in Bollywood choose to stay silent when questioned about such incidents? For example, Aamir Khan, Amitabh Bachchan and even Salman Khanwere asked about Tanushree Dutta-Nana Patekar case and he chose to not comment. Why do they remain mum?
PinkVilla: Do you think the Me Too Movement will ever find its place in Bollywood in full force, the way it did in Hollywood?
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