Actor Anupria Goenka is one among those who extended support to filmmaker Anurag Kashyap when he was recently accused of sexual harassment by actor Payal Ghosh.

In a long twitter thread, she addressed the vilification of Bollywood and wrote how Kashyap is an “ardent advocate of human rights” and “women empowerment”. “I’ve great respect for Anurag, both as a director and a human being. He advocates human rights, talks against fascism, supports the idea of women having agency and choice, and it all reflects in his work and his everyday functioning as well. Strong, super talented and fiercely outspoken women (who’ve worked with him and are ‘outsiders’ as well) have come out in his support. That must stand for something,” says Goenka, who collaborated with Kashyap in web series Sacred Games.

The 33-year-old actor adds that the #metoo has done a lot of good, so it is our joint responsibility to protect its purity. “False accusations will derail and discredit the movement. I hope we don’t let it wither away,” she continues, “I totally stand with Anurag Kashyap. He has been so courageously and unflinchingly vocal about so many human issues, risking his personal interests and safety even. He, in fact, empowers the women around him.”

Goenka strongly objects to social media trials, and says there is so much “noise, negativity, name calling going on”, which is more about demeaning each other than resolving anything. “There are so many pertinent issues such as the farmers’ bills, growing unemployment, rise in domestic abuse, doctors’ deaths, Covid rise, floods… Instead of talking about the real issues, we’re focusing on a few already thriving individuals, their habits, WhatsApp chats, airport transfers, etc.,” she says.

The actor feels we need to give “each other respect and let a sensible dialogue” happen. “With so much misery pre-existing during the pandemic, now more than ever, we need to spread positivity. If you want to address the drugs issue, attack the cause. Stop the supply and give solutions and ask for action. We should use our time and energy right. These are not just film industry-centric but nationwide problems,” she ends.