News Desk |
Bollywood famed actress Preity Zinta has been under the radar of massive criticism after she allegedly passed trivializing comments on the ongoing Me Too campaign against sexual harassment in the Indian film industry.
Preity Zinta, in her latest interview, dismissed the magnitude of sexual harassment painted by the protagonists of Me Too movement in Bollywood. The actress asserted that Indian film industry was one of the safest places for the women to work while the element of predatory behavior was negligible in the Indian film industry when compared with other professions.
Zinta also believes that it is the woman who decides how she wants to be treated. Her comments have evoked outrage as people have criticized Preity Zinta for’ victim shaming’. Her remarks were dubbed demeaning towards the harrowing incidents of sexual harassment encountered by several women who have stepped forward to report their cases.
Q. Did you ever have a #MeToo experience?
A. Giggle. Giggle. Ha ha. I wish I had!!!"Aaj ki sweetu, kal ki metoo ho sakti hai, ha ha": The lovely @realpreityzinta does some unexpected victim shaming pic.twitter.com/F0Rc05Cbws
— PKR | প্রশান্ত | پرشانتو (@prasanto) November 18, 2018
When asked if she has ever faced sexual harassment in the industry, Preity Zinta giggled and said: “No, I haven’t, I wish I had… [Then] I would have an answer to tell you.” She went on to say that, it was “a very relevant question because people treat you the way you want to be treated.”
She admitted the merits of Me Too campaign, however, said that it was being largely used by women for personal vendettas.
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The actress said it was “important that the #MeToo movement had started”, and added that she felt bad “when women are using it when it’s not that serious or for personal vendetta or publicity and diluting the movement”.
https://twitter.com/sandygrains/status/1063790259794657280
Actress Tanushree Datta broke the ceiling in Indian film industry when she accused veteran actor Nana Patekar for sexually harassing her back in 2010. Datta soon gained the support of several Bollywood celebrities. Since then many women came forward and several bigwigs have been named in the cases of sexual harassment.
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On the other hands, following the backlash Preity Zinta defended herself and blamed the bad editing of her viral video clip from the interview. She blamed that video was edited badly to “to trivialize and be insensitive”.
Really sad 2see how the interview Is edited to trivialis& be insensitive. Not everything is traction & as someone being interviewed I expected decency & maturity froma journalist @iFaridoon. I did 25 interviews that day & only yours turned out edited like this #dissappointed
— Preity G Zinta (@realpreityzinta) November 19, 2018
Many however said that they were disappointed and expected a better response from her.