Clockwise from above: Vinta Nanda accused Alok Nath of rape; Rose McGowan, Alyssa Milano spearheaded #MeToo against Harvey Weinstein; Tanushree Dutta’s allegations against Nana Patekar kicked off the movement in India

MUMBAI MIRROR (December 24, 2018)

Following the massive #MeToo movement, around 50 million Google searches on sexual harrasment, reporting and prevention of such behaviour were recorded in the US during October 2017 to June 2018, a US study suggests.

The study found that sexual harassment and assault searches were 86 per cent higher than expected from October 15 in 2017 to June 15 in 2018, reaching a record high.

An estimated 40-54 million Google searches for sexual harassment and assault were recorded in the US in the eight months after public accusations against film producer Harvey Weinstein and the ensuing #MeToo movement, according to the researchers, including John W. Ayers from the University of California, San Diego.

For the study, the research team monitored the volume of Google searches originating from the US that were indicative of sexual harassment and assault awareness from January 1, 2010, through June 15, 2018. They further monitored the subset of these searches that focused on seeking resources for reporting of sexual harassment and assault and preventive training.

The search volumes were provided as a ratio of all Google searches (per 10 million), thereby adjusting for changes in Google usage over time, suggested the study published in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine. The team found that searches related to reporting and preventive training for sexual harassment and assault were 30 per cent higher and 51 per cent higher than predicted.

On October 15, 2017, following the public accusations of sexual harassment and assault against Harvey Weinstein, actress Alyssa Milano encouraged victims to bring the taboo topic out of the shadows by sharing their own stories.

#MeToo was tweeted 300,000 times the day after Milano’s post and generated widespread support with scores of accusations made against media, political, and business leaders, giving voice to previously unheard victims.

In India, the movement began this year after Tanushree Dutta accused actor Nana Patekar of sexual harassment and Vinta Nanda came out with her story involving Alok Nath.

#MeToo producer Sajid Qureshi talks about his film being scrutinised by the Revising Committee due to its dialogues
Upala KBR (MID-DAY; November 23, 2018)

With the film industry's revolt against sexual predators being met with silence from a fair share of powerful persons, sufficient toil has gone into keeping the discussion around the pressing subject, alive. In what may be seen as another blow to #MeToo movement, a film by the same name has come under scrutiny by the Central Board of Film Certification (CBFC).

Sajid Qureshi's production founds its inspiration from the agitation that first arose in Hollywood last year, before it found its way into Bollywood. "We completed it over seven months ago, before it began in India," he says of the film, helmed by US-based Harsh Wardhan, and featuring Ritika Singh. "We sent the movie to the CBFC three months ago, but they rejected it," he says, adding that the Board objected to the dialogues used in the film.

The body told Qureshi to seek the Revising Committee's (RC) intervention. "The Mumbai RC had a backlog to deal with, so we were told to approach the Chennai RC. But that body, helmed by actor Gautami Tadimalla objected to the title itself. They questioned our decision to use a title of a movement that was gaining momentum in India."

#MeToo, Qureshi reveals, revolves around a student who encounters sexual abuse. "The film discusses the mentality of sexual predators, highlighting how they behave and talk." The cuts demanded by the body, he claims, affect half of his film, leading to a delay in its release.

"If we delete certain scenes, there will not be any movie left to see. There is no violence or vulgarity, only some powerful dialogues. Yet, they've asked us to edit it," he says, arguing that his film reflects the way men speak. "If four men surround a girl, they won't call her sister or behen ji while eve-teasing, will they?" The producer reveals his team is contemplating approaching the Court or Tribunal.