Showing posts with label Chinmayi Sripaada. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chinmayi Sripaada. Show all posts
#MeToo: Bollywood vs Hollywood
8:15 AM
In light of #MeToo accused Sajid Khan’s reality show stint, we explore the contrasting nature of how sexual misconduct allegations are dealt with in India and the West
Samarth Goyal (HINDUSTAN TIMES; October 12, 2022)
The #MeToo movement became a watershed moment in history by bringing to light accounts of sexual harassment and misconduct at the workplace. However, five years after it first gained prominence, consequences faced by the accused remain remarkably different between the Indian film industry and Hollywood.
While reports by American media speak of how men accused of #MeToo struggle to find work, closer home, things haven’t changed much for celebs accused of harassment. Latest case in point being filmmaker Sajid Khan’s participation in the reality show Bigg Boss 16. Ever since the news first emerged, social media has been abuzz with people calling the makers out for their disregard towards the survivors, who had shared their #MeToo accounts against Khan in 2018.
Actor Tanushree Dutta, who became the torchbearer of the movement in India after speaking up against actor Nana Patekar and filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri, calls Khan’s entry into the show a “cheap publicity stunt” and a “desperate attempt” by makers to revive interest in the show.
Among the several women who accused Khan, was actor Mandana Karimi, who claimed that he had asked her to remove her clothes during a meeting for his film Humshakals (2014). In a recent interview with us, Karimi said she is not shocked that he is back in the limelight without any repercussions. “For people, life has become like, ‘If it is going to benefit me and I can make money, who cares?’ That shows why #MeToo movement in India and many other countries didn’t really reach anywhere,” Karimi, who has decided to bid adieu to Bollywood as a result, said.
But, this is not the first instance that such an uproar has been created over an accused facing no repercussions. National Award-winning singer Chinmayi Sripaada, who was among several women who named Tamil lyricist and poet Vairamuthu of sexual harassment. feels that such incidents make the process of coping with the trauma of abuse, tougher. “It does further the trauma. But, what can you do? My molester is the favourite nationalist Tamil boy. He continues to get a platform. So many women, who call themselves feminists, get clicked with him,” she says.
Sripaada, however, expresses hope that things will change. “I know when I came out, it was incredibly freeing... Change doesn’t happen instantly. I see men who have taken a step back after this movement, and looked inwards, trying to unlearn things. I think things will change, but they will take time,” she says.
Singer Neha Bhasin, who had spoken up against singer-composer Anu Malik in 2019, says such incidents do not undermine the accusations. “Why should I care about the verdict of a society that is okay with people accused of harassment getting important projects, as if nothing ever happened? It is their shame; those who decide to work with them and continue to be seen with them. They, in no way, undermine whatever any of the victims have said about the accused before,” she says.
#MeToo in the US
The movement first originated in the US in 2006, when the phrase “Me Too” was used in this context by sexual assault survivor and activist Tarana Burke. It gained prominence, however, when The New York Times came out with an article in 2017, accusing the then movie baron, Harvey Weinstein, of sexually harassing multiple women and actors at the workplace.
The same year, actor Alyssa Milano posted on Twitter: “If you’ve been sexually harassed or assaulted write ‘me too’ as a reply to this tweet.” Within hours, her post generated several responses, including from actors Gwyneth Paltrow, Jennifer Lawrence and Uma Thurman, among others.
In 2018, an NYT article revealed that 201 high profile accused names were out of work. Five years later, another report in The Hollywood Reporter said that majority of these names still remain out of work, which is “one of #MeToo’s greatest victories at the practical level”.
Kevin Spacey
In an interview in 2017, actor Anthony Rapp accused actor Kevin Spacey of making a sexual advance towards him when he was 14 and Spacey was in his twenties. Since then, many others have come forward with their accounts of harassment against Spacey. Following this, Spacey was suspended from House of Cards and dropped from several projects. At present, the Oscar-winning actor has gone on trial in New York (USA) over the lawsuit by Rapp.
Steven Seagal
More than a dozen women have accused the actor of sexual harassment and assault, including actors Julianna Margulies, Portia de Rossi, Jenny McCarthy, Lisa Guerrero, and Rachel Grant. Seagal had also previously been sued for sexual assault. By January 2018, at least two women had filed police reports against him. The same year in August, news broke that Russia had named Seagal a “special representative” for US-Russia humanitarian ties.
Louis CK
Five women accused comedian-actor Louis CK in 2017 of sexual misconduct, detailing alleged incidents in which CK exposed himself and masturbated in front of them. In a statement released later, CK confessed that these accounts were true. Soon after, channels and streaming platforms HBO, Netflix and FX cut ties with him, and the distributor of his next film, I Love You, Daddy, cancelled its release. TBS, too, said it had suspended production on CK’s animated comedy, The Cops, before scrapping the project entirely. However, CK continues to make his way back to the stand-up circuit.
Dustin Hoffman
Writer Anna Graham Hunter, who was 17 when she interned at the set of 1985’s Death of a Salesman, told The Hollywood Reporter that on set, actor Dustin Hoffman “was openly flirtatious, he grabbed my ass, he talked about sex to me and in front of me”. Later, two more women accused him of sexual assault, and a third said he exposed himself to her when she was a teenager. In a statement, the actor apologised and said he “felt terrible”. On the show Last Week Tonight with John Oliver recently, the host grilled him during a panel he was moderating, in an effort to get him to self-reflect.
Bryan Singer
Director Bryan Singer faced accusations of sexual misconduct involving minors. Model Michael Egan sued him for sexual assault of a minor in 2014 (the case was withdrawn), and an anonymous plaintiff sued him for sexual assault in 2014. In 2017, actor Cesar Sanchez-Guzman filed a lawsuit in Washington and alleged that Singer had raped him when he was a teenager. Allegations against Singer gained more attention after he was fired from directing the film Bohemian Rhapsody. He still remains listed as the director of the Freddie Mercury (singer) biopic and the remake of Red Sonja (1985).
#MeToo in India
Although the #MeToo wave first reached India in 2017, as it did in many other countries following the high profile cases in Hollywood, it became prominent only a year later in 2018, after actor Tanushree Dutta opened up about her account, accusing actor Nana Patekar of sexual harassment.
That interview served as the prompt for multiple others, who spoke out against high profile names in the industry. Some of those accused included filmmakers Rajkumar Hirani, Vikas Bahl, Subhash Kapoor and Sajid Khan, singers Anu Malik and Kailash Kher, and actors Alok Nath and Rajat Kapoor.
However, nearly all of those who have been accused, continue to get work in their respective fields. Social media outbursts from several pro feminist and #MeToo handles, and countless online petitions, have all fallen on deaf ears as makers continue to offer projects and positions of respect and importance to the accused.
Anu Malik
Allegations against the composer first emerged when singer Sona Mohapatra accused him of referring to her as “maal”. Shortly after, singer Shweta Pandit opened up about being sexually harassed by him when she was 15. The alleged incident took place in 2001, when Pandit visited Empire Studio in Mumbai’s Andheri for an audition. Malik denied the allegations. While Indian Idol removed him as a judge after an uproar in 2019, he got back to the seat, a season later.
Sajid Khan
A journalist accused the filmmaker of assaulting her and exposing his genitals while she was interviewing him in the early 2000s. Another woman alleged that he harassed her in 2011 when she was working as his assistant director. Several others, including actor Mandana Karimi recounted being assaulted by the filmmaker. While he stepped down as the director of Housefull 4 (2019), Khan is back as a contestant on a reality show.
Vikas Bahl
A crew member accused filmmaker Vikas Bahl of assaulting her during the filming of Bombay Velvet in Goa in 2015. Actor Kangana Ranaut, too, has accused him of sexual misconduct. Bahl sent legal notices to his former business partners, filmmakers Anurag Kashyap and Vikramaditya Motwane for making “defamatory allegations” against him. Following this, he worked with actor Hrithik Roshan in the film Super 30 (2019) and more recently, directed Goodbye, starring Amitabh Bachchan and Rashmika Mandanna.
Alok Nath
Writer and director Vinta Nanda accused actor Alok Nath in 2018 of raping her in the 1990s. Subsequently, actors Renuka Shahane, Himani Shivpuri, Sandhya Mridul, Deepika Amin and an anonymous Hum Saath-Saath Hain crew member have either admitted to knowing about Nath’s predatory behaviour or written about their own experiences. Nath has denied the allegations and filed a defamation case against Nanda, with his wife’s support. He featured in two films Sonu Ke Teetu Ki Sweety (2018) and De De Pyaar de (2019) after the incident.
Nana Patekar
Actor Nana Patekar was accused by actor Tanushree Dutta, making him the first prominent name to be highlighted in the #MeToo movement in the Indian film industry. He denied the allegations and tried to drag her to court as well. Two years later, he starred in the film It’s My Life, alongside Harman Baweja and Genelia Deshmukh. Patekar is reportedly gearing up for his next release, The Confession.
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Tanushree Dutta
“The law and order in the US is strong. So, the people have that support. We need to strengthen our system like that. Everyone needs to come together in solidarity in India to eliminate such crimes. Industry veterans, production houses and seniors need to be more responsible not to send such a horrible message to society.”
Neha Bhasin
“Incidents like these are a glaring reflection of the deep-rooted patriarchy. People might get richer and buy expensive cars, but the mindset remains the same. Women are held accountable on the basis of morality, while men are not held accountable to the same standards. Everyone is out to character assassinate a woman. And that’s why the consequences will be different here. The fact that it is acceptable, that someone can get to work after such incidents, just cements my thoughts about India being a patriarchal society.”
Mandana Karimi
“There are people who agree to compromise and keep their mouths shut, or not talk about the things happening around, thinking what difference will one person make? That is the main problem... It was just a few women, they came, they spoke and that was it. Where is the action? Who is boycotting these people? Nothing is going to happen. The industry is a place were someone is someone’s mum, boyfriend, girlfriend or husband. It’s like, you scratch my back, and I will scratch yours.”
Chinmayi Sripaada
“There are not many Harvey Weinsteins (disgraced producer) in the world, who get what the deserve. Even to women in the West, their system tells them that they do it (speak up) for cheap publicity, fame or money. In India, things are even difficult because it happens on a very deep rooted cultural level, which has gone on for generations. Even in regular households, women who suffer abuse are told to adjust and keep shut or not talk about it, while the people who do the deeds, are invited to family functions and what not. But all is not bad, I do see things changing and men wanting to unlearn things. That’s the most important step, I believe.”
A R Rahman pledges support to #MeToo movement
8:05 AM
Top: Chinmayi Sripaada; (Above) lyricist Vairamuthu
Gladwin Emmanuel (MUMBAI MIRROR; October 24, 2018)
In a cautiously worded statement, music maestro A R Rahman has pledged his support to the women coming forward to out their tormentors. Stating that he has been observing the #MeToo movement, the Academy Award-winning musician expressed shock over some of the names, both of the perpetrators and the survivors, that have come out in the open.
Rahman’s ‘shock’ is understandable considering a revelation in Kollywood relates to Chinmayi Sripaada who started her career singing for Rahman in Mani Ratnam’s 2002 film Kannathil Muthamittal (2002). Chinmayi had charged lyricist Vairamuthu — recipient of Padma Awards — of sexual misconduct. The Rahman-Vairamuthu duo had delivered several hits in Tamil. His sister, singer-composer A R Rehman recently, revealed that she has heard several accounts about lyricist Vairamuthu’s behaviour, though she herself has not faced any such harassment.
“I would love to see our industry become cleaner and respectful of women...More power to all the victims coming forward!” he applauded, making it clear that he and his team are committed to creating a safe creative space that brings out the best and helps individuals evolve and succeed. Meanwhile, even as the social media is offering greater freedom for victims to speak up, Rahman urged caution in creating a new internet justice system in case it’s misused.
When I posted my tweet, I was trembling and shaking-Chinmayi Sripaada
8:34 AM
Chinmayi Sripaada, singer who accused Tamil lyricist Vairamuthu of harassment
As told to Priya M Menon (THE TIMES OF INDIA; October 14, 2018)
After I tweeted about the harassment, I had an almost physical reaction. If you read all the stories shared anonymously, you will see that many women said they were trembling and shaking. Even when I posted my tweet, I was trembling and shaking. You know then exactly what it means to talk on a public platform about somebody groping you.
The relief came much later, and yes I did cry. It was cathartic, there was a lot of pent-up anger. But the majority of the reaction has been positive; my family is my pillar of strength. My mother has stood up for me and my husband and parents-in-law only want to ensure I am safe. I feel as if I have put down a weight that I had been carrying inside me.
The most beautiful thing happened on the sets of a Telugu music show on Wednesday. I am a judge on the panel and there was a moment towards the end of the show where one of the contestants said that it is not required for someone of my stature to come out and say what I did and that they believed me. Even the grand jury comprising playback singers said it and I broke down. I was overwhelmed by emotion when I heard someone say that they believe me.
On Twitter, musician Shakthisree Gopalan has defended me and said that she has only love and admiration for me for being fiercely honest and doing the right thing. Composer Ghibran has tweeted in my support and actually said thank you. I feel happy and light now.
As told to Priya M Menon (THE TIMES OF INDIA; October 14, 2018)
After I tweeted about the harassment, I had an almost physical reaction. If you read all the stories shared anonymously, you will see that many women said they were trembling and shaking. Even when I posted my tweet, I was trembling and shaking. You know then exactly what it means to talk on a public platform about somebody groping you.The relief came much later, and yes I did cry. It was cathartic, there was a lot of pent-up anger. But the majority of the reaction has been positive; my family is my pillar of strength. My mother has stood up for me and my husband and parents-in-law only want to ensure I am safe. I feel as if I have put down a weight that I had been carrying inside me.
The most beautiful thing happened on the sets of a Telugu music show on Wednesday. I am a judge on the panel and there was a moment towards the end of the show where one of the contestants said that it is not required for someone of my stature to come out and say what I did and that they believed me. Even the grand jury comprising playback singers said it and I broke down. I was overwhelmed by emotion when I heard someone say that they believe me.
On Twitter, musician Shakthisree Gopalan has defended me and said that she has only love and admiration for me for being fiercely honest and doing the right thing. Composer Ghibran has tweeted in my support and actually said thank you. I feel happy and light now.
Raghu Dixit, Rohit Roy, Srijit Mukherji, Anu Malik, Kailash Kher debut on #MeToo list
8:22 AM
#MeToo list
While Vinta Nanda’s #MeToo account involving Alok Nath was followed by the actor conveying through his lawyer that he had taken ill and would respond to the allegations after recuperating, Sandhya Mridul, who worked with the actor in a 1990s telefilm, has recounted her own ordeal.
Narrating an incident from the Kodaikanal schedule of the show, Sandhya outed Alok Nath with a long Twitter post, saying, “Every evening he would drink and every night calls were made to my room. I dreaded the ring… I had to keep it off the hook most of the times. But then he would come calling. It was a catch-22 situation. I had the hairdresser moved in to my room permanently. I was a nervous wreck.”
More testimonies entered the public domain on Wednesday, with fresh allegations against Begum Jaan director Srijit Mukherji, actor Rohit Roy, musician Raghu Dixit, composer Anu Malik and singer Kailash Kher. Srijit denied all allegations levelled against him through a Facebook post, saying, “I deny the allegations of non-consensual flirting and harassment, and believe the situation in entirety should be judged. My conversation with the said individual started with a work query which I answered at the very outset. It then, OVER TIME, went on to other topics with equal participation and was consensual…”
Singer Sona Mohapatra took to Twitter to accuse Kailash Kher of touching her inappropriately during a work meeting. Kher’s name cropped up for the first time earlier this week after a female journalist recounted how he allegedly misbehaved with her during an interview. At the time, Kher was quoted as saying that he was “extremely disappointed” to hear the accusations and wasn’t aware of the incident. In a separate Instagram post, Sona also accused Anu Malik of being a repeat offender. “This guy, Kailash Kher is a serial predator and has been for years as are many others like Anu Malik in the industry,” she said.
Rohit Roy joined the growing list of alleged offenders with an unnamed woman reaching out to a Twitter user to allege that the actor had sent her “suggestive” messages when she was about 16. “He’s harassed me on several occasions since, trying to get me to kiss him. Including when his wife (was) in the next room,” she added. Rohit denied the allegations to a publication, saying, “I checked the entire account, that’s not me at all. I would love to know who this is. It’s not actually sexual harassment or anything like that. I saw the entire thing. I think there has been some mistake. I’d love to know who I have harassed in my life.”
Down South, Raghu Dixit, the frontman of a multilingual folk band, has been accused of sexual harassment by an anonymous woman, whose account was shared by singer, Chinmayi Sripaada on Twitter.
The woman, who called the musician “among the top predators”, said he once molested her at a recording. Dixit responded by saying that the allegations were mostly accurate, but he is not a predator. The singer said he “completely misread” the situation and had immediately apologised to the person concerned and will do so again in private.
On Wednesday, Sripaada had accused veteran Tamil lyricist Vairamuthu of inappropriate conduct during a foreign tour sometime in 2005 or 2006.
Actor-filmmaker Rajat Kapoor, who was accused of sexual misconduct by a journalist and a former colleague last week, faced fresh allegations when an anonymous woman revealed on Twitter that he had tried to kiss her eight times in a dark spot years ago.
Special committee for safe workplaces
A day after extending support to #MeToo survivors and proposing a “robust process” to provide safe spaces for employees on film sets, the Producers Guild of India has set up a special committee.
Headed by filmmaker Sneha Rajani, the committee will address sexual harassment at the workplace within the industry. Dharma Productions CEO Apoorva Mehta, Ekta Kapoor, Kiran Rao, Priti Shahani, Rohan Sippy and Siddharth Roy Kapur, among others, have been appointed as members.
Did Aamir Khan break the line at Chennai airport and cause inconvenience to passengers?
9:04 AM
Vinod Talreja (DNA; October 12, 2014)
He has become something of a social crusader. And with the popularity of his talk show Satyamev Jayate, Khan has become the torch-bearer of the socially backward and unprivileged masses.
And even as he's trying to get the nation to 'change' for the better - he doesn't follow the rules and regulations himself, posted Chennai resident Shyamala Ashok on on her Facebook page. It went viral on most social networks.
She stated: "I was in the queue to scan my baggage at Chennai Airport, Aamir Khan of Satyamev Jayate just breaks the line followed by his escorts and a few others.... If these guys do not have a simple concern that many others have been waiting in line and that they should also obey rules, why the hell are they associated with programs such as Satamev Jayate etc. - It's all fake and humbug."
Everybody had an opinion on the matter with several taking sides. Aamir himself remained mum about the incident and offered no rebuttal.
THE OTHER SIDE
Chennai Express (for the song Titli) singer Chinmayi Sripada, whose husband was in the same line as Aamir, right behind him, remarked, "Having a star in a queue is more of an inconvenience to others. It's best in the interest of decorum in an airport that people like him be escorted. Also in his defence, he didn't jump at the opportunity but told the crew that it would be tough since his bodyguards need to go as well and he'd be happy to stay in queue."
Bollywood has a more casual approach than the South-Chinmayi Sripaada
7:49 AM
Chinmayi Sripaada, who sang Hasee Toh Phasee track Zehnaseeb, on her continuing successful streak in Bollywood
Sunayana Suresh (BOMBAY TIMES; January 24, 2014)
Singer-television host-entrepreneur-dubbing artiste, Chinmayi Sripaada wears many hats. A popular name in the South Indian film industry, she has sung numbers like Tere Bina from Guru and Madno Re from Lamhaa previously. Currently on a high after three hit numbers in Chennai Express, Phata Poster Nikhla Hero and now Hasee Toh Phasee, she’s gung ho about working with more music directors. Excerpts from a chat...
How did Zehnaseeb from Hasee To Phasee happen?
Last year, I was in Mumbai to record the single Butterfly with Shekhar (Ravjiani) sir (the proceeds of which went towards a charity that Shekhar supports). It was then that he asked me to record this number. I recorded the number as a solo track, with just my voice. Back then, he wasn't even sure if it would be on the final soundtrack, but I did it anyway. Later on, he called me saying the the number would be on for Hasee Toh Phasee and that would be a duet with me. I was elated. In fact, I've had a lot of duets with the composers I've worked with, in both south and north including AR Rahman sir. After recording, I was told that the song promos will be out in January. Seeing them now and the response to it, I'm simply elated.
Last year, you had two hit numbers as well...
Yes, in fact those have interesting stories too. For Titli, I received a call randomly one day from Shekhar sir, who was with Gopi Sunder, asking me to meet him in half an hour at a studio. He'd told Gopi that he wanted to meet me, since he'd remembered by voice distinctively from Tere Bina and wanted to record with me for Chennai Express. It was a lovely experience.
For Main Rang Sharbaton Ka, I recall texting Pritam Chakrabroty sir one day expressing my desire to work with him. He immediately texted me back asking me to come record a song the next day! And the entire process happened so quickly that the number was out in no time.
You had a hit like Tere Bina. How's it that we heard so little from you after a hit like that?
I owe most of my film career to Rahman sir, who's used me for songs in South and in Bollywood. When Tere Bina happened, I expected that people would automatically call on me for work. But, apart from Mithoon, who flew down all the way to Chennai to meet me when he wanted me to sing in Lamhaa. Also, I've always been bad at networking. I'm not someone who goes out and talks about myself. In fact, even during my interviews, I find it weird that people expect me to talk about myself. But, since these are more conversational and the person on the other side usually is wondering what is it in me that's brought me into the news, I am a little more comfortable. (laughs)
What's the difference you find between the industries down South and here?
I find Bollywood a lot more casual in their way of working compared to the South Indian film industries. For instance, Shekhar sir had narrated the lyrics of Zehnaseeb, after which we were at a coffee shop. Once I was done with the coffee, he casually told me to go record the number. In the South, it doesn't work that way, which is why I often keep telling people that Bollywood works very differently. Though, with younger composers like Anirudh and K entering the scene, the South Indian film industry is now loosening up too.
A lot more South Indian singers, for instance Benny and yourself are now getting breaks in Bollywood now too...
Yes, I find it nice that there are more opportunities for everyone these days. Though, I also feel that the fact that Benny and I have neutral accents when it comes to our pronunciations is a factor for us to get more numbers.
As a parting question, Yo Yo Honey Singh, in his recent interview had dismissed the songs of Chennai Express Express as ‘bakwaas’, barring his Lungi Dance. Your comment.
I would just like to say that he shouldn't be so impolite. (smiles)
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