As told to Meena Iyer (DNA; January 22, 2019)

Kangana Ranaut, who is known for her no-nonsense behaviour and forthright attitude, reveals why the #MeToo Movement in Bollywood is pertinent. The Manikarnika: Queen Of Jhansi actress says that women should be responsible for their own safety and why the right message needs to be given out to young girls.

‘PEOPLE WILL THINK TWICE NOW’
The #MeToo Movement in Bollywood should be analysed on various levels. Also, we need to see that whatever has come out of it has meant something. People will think twice now because of certain things that were reported. Earlier, everyone knew about some five-six names, but no one was doing anything about it. Today, they are out there exposed. Though that may not seem enough, it has some significance.

At the same time, I feel this is not going in the right direction, because of the message we’re giving to young girls. Like recently, Rani Mukerji was attacked because of her views on a show. It’s sad to see that a woman was getting bullied and trolled for the cause of women’s empowerment. Maybe Rani was not able to articulate herself, but if you see the way she leads her life, she is the epitome of women’s empowerment. Anyone who knows her wouldn’t find her weak or timid. There are people who talk a lot, but they don’t necessarily live up to it. She’s definitely one of those who lives up to it. So, that is scary about this whole thing.

‘HOW CAN SOMEONE ELSE BE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOUR SAFETY?’ 
Expecting another person to make sure that I am safe is not the right attitude. If I had thought like that at 16, God knows where I would be, maybe I wouldn’t have been alive. How can you expect another person to rescue you or be responsible for your safety? You don’t understand the dynamics of crime.

A criminal mostly knows he is committing a crime. Even the richest people shop lift, they know it, yet they do it for the thrill of it. When you set the rules and make a person aware of the fact that this is violating another person’s fundamental right, if that person is a criminal, he wants to do that very thing. If initially it was a sexual urge, it’s become a mental urge and he wants to corner the young girl in the dark on the street.

I was pinched on my butt in the middle of a group and that person was right there, looking at me. It was not even sexual, it was like ‘I did exactly what I was not supposed to do’. And looking me in the eye like ‘what are you going to do now?’ So, what do you expect? I think somewhere we should tell the girls that there are a few rules. Don't say ‘maybe,’ when you want to say ‘no’, it's important. Your safety doesn’t mean you can do Taekwondo and karate. It also means you go to someone who can save you; it may be a teacher, an uncle you trust, a friend, or the Mumbai Police, or go to the media, find a journalist and expose them. So, to tell them this and then get severely trolled for it, is horrible.

‘NOT EVERYONE IS ON TWITTER’
First of all, some of these people might not understand Twitter language, or they might not even be on Twitter… and the educated ones don’t understand that the dynamics of a criminal and a criminal psyche are different. How can a criminal be responsible for my safety?

It’s all become a bundle of confusion, everyone is doing everything. And the worst part is that women are trolling women.

We must stop doing that.