The actress is upset after being trolled for criticizing a quarantine facility in Goa, a place she now calls home
Debarati Sen (BOMBAY TIMES; May 21, 2020)

Pooja Bedi has been in a social media storm ever since she tweeted about the condition of quarantine facilities that her fiancé, Maneck Contractor, and she were subjected to after their recent journey from Mumbai to Goa. Around 7 pm on May 16, the couple reached Goa and was asked to wait at the border till 9.30 pm. After this, they were taken to the district hospital in Mapusa, where they stood for two hours in a queue in order to get tested for Coronavirus. They were then escorted to a quarantine facility in Calangute, where they were asked to stay while they awaited their results. On May 17, around 6.30 pm, their results came out negative, after which they were allowed to go home.

Pooja had tweeted a video, recounting her experience at the quarantine facility and highlighting its unhygienic conditions. She was trolled for the post, with people accusing her of being “fussy” and using celebrity status to enter Goa.

Talking about the quarantine facility, Pooja says “If you see the video, you will understand my outrage. We were travelling from a sanitised home, in a sanitised car, hoping to go to yet another sanitised home in Goa, and then, we are subjected to facilities like that. Forget sanitising, the facility was not even clean and lacked basic hygiene. In a quarantine facility, proper sanitisation is absolutely essential.”

About the backlash she received, Pooja says, “I didn’t want healthy people to go into the facility, get infected and bring the virus into Goa. My intention was to reveal the condition there and it should have been taken in the right spirit. However, I was trolled for being an ‘outsider’ and a ‘celebrity’. I’m used to being trolled, but this was disheartening. People were insinuating that we had used influence to get into Goa, which is not true.”

Pooja says that she and Maneck had applied online and uploaded all documents for inter-state travel. She adds, “My fiancé is a Goan. All our properties and businesses are registered in Goa, which is our home now. We also got permission from the Maharashtra Police to travel to Goa. We had the necessary screening certificates.”

“We chose not to ask for a single favour and conducted ourselves like law-abiding citizens with all documents in place. I love my fellow Goans, but a celebrity entering the state should not be viewed with prejudice. How can they call us outsiders? We have created these borders, but the virus doesn’t see borders. It’s absurd to have that kind of reaction from people where they say ‘go back to the state you belong to’. We are not outsiders in any state, we are Indians,” says Pooja.

In a chat with Bombay Times, Pooja Bedi, one of the leading advocates of the #MenToo movement, talks about Karan Oberoi finally being out on bail after a month, and how supporters will join hands to work towards making changes in the legislation
Debarati Sen (BOMBAY TIMES; June 10, 2019)

Last week, Bombay High Court’s Justice Revati Mohite-Dere granted bail to actor-singer Karan Oberoi, who was in judicial custody. He was arrested after a tantrik-cum-healer accused him of rape and extortion. Since his arrest, close friends of the actor, including Pooja Bedi, had been vocal on social media about the case and how they felt that Karan has been wrongly accused.

Tonight, Pooja is hosting a dinner at her house, where Karan’s friends and supporters will come together to welcome him home. In a chat with Bombay Times, she speaks about the ordeal that they all went through in the last one month, the tremendous support from lawyers and activists across the country, and the overwhelming backing that the #MenToo movement has received so far…

‘THERE ARE 600 CASES LIKE KARAN’S IN JUST TALOJA JAIL’
On his way back home from the jail, Karan did a video chat with Pooja, who could not personally be by his side. She says, “Karan was smiling, teary-eyed and overwhelmed with gratitude to see all the love and support pouring in from so many quarters. It has been an extremely traumatic experience for him. He sounded upbeat to be out, but I could see the wear and tear on his face from being in jail for a month. He is now determined to take this forward and make sure that this does not happen to any other man. He said that there were 600 cases similar to his in just Taloja jail (Navi Mumbai). Imagine the state across the country.”

TAKING THE #MENTOO MOVEMENT FORWARD
The #MenToo movement has been gathering tremendous momentum in the last month. And now, a huge number of people, including lawyers and activists, are holding a public rally in Azad Maidan from 11 am to 1 pm on June 15. Pooja says, “The rally will see supporters of #MenToo, and Karan along with his A Band Of Boys (his music group). They will sing a couple of songs to highlight the issue. We are going to take bytes of people, and capture the sentiment about fake cases that is gripping the nation. We want to start changing things and are taking concrete measures to ensure that this initiative gains momentum.”

‘WE ARE WORKING TOWARDS MAKING LEGISLATIVE CHANGES’
Pooja, along with an entire team including experts and lawyers, are working towards making changes in the legislation, which is the need of the hour. “Prominent lawyers across the country have come forward with different suggestions, information, clauses, supportive laws and cases to back our appeal for #MenToo and why we need it. They have brought forth many clauses, different laws that need amendment and different ways to prosecute women for fake cases. Lawyers are helping us to formulate an entire way forward for #MenToo and advising us how to make legislative changes in Parliament and in the Law Commission of India.” 

Pooja Bedi (BOMBAY TIMES; May 26, 2019)

Comparing the #MeToo and #MenToo movement is like comparing the moon and the sun. The radiance of the sun by day does not take away from the radiance of the moon by night, and the two have their own roles and responsibilities towards the planet. For the sake of clarity, #MeToo is largely seen as a movement of women, by women and for women. While they add that it includes men, if you hashtag it, a pink symbol shows up. In India, #MenToo is a movement that is being given momentum by women and men, and aims to protect men as well as the women in their families, who bear the brunt of his #rapist tag, amongst other charges. Scores of innocent men are given the most repulsive labels immediately upon arrest, despite lack of evidence and despite showing hard evidence to the contrary. After years of going through jail and courts many are exonerated, some with honourable acquittals, but the damage to their reputation, careers, life and family is irreparable.

Rampant misuse of stringent laws meant to protect women is only going to backfire on women’s rights. If #MenToo aims to put the brakes on alarmingly rising numbers of false cases, it will only give back the weight and integrity to the #MeToo movement, because misuse of a movement takes away from its purpose and credibility. #MenToo is not anti #MeToo, because no movement that focuses on equality, equal rights, equal laws, equal justice and equal protection of both sexes could ever be a threat to any credible movement. #MenToo aims to protect men as well as women from the brunt of fake cases. It is also important to note the distinction between an accused man being acquitted over lack of evidence v/s when a case is proven to be fake. If we can name and shame men who are proven rapists, we can certainly do the same to women who are proven to have filed fake cases. Both are a violation of dignity and human rights.

#MenToo is society standing up against the misuse of laws and the humiliation, disrepute, agony and incarceration of innocent men to satisfy a woman’s need for vengeance, extortion or manipulation. Data by the Delhi Commission for Women states 53.2% of rape cases filed in Delhi between April 2013 and July 2014 turned out to be false. According to NCRB data, 10% dowry cases filed each year are proven false. In 2013, out of the investigated 1,12,058 cases, 10,864 were false. And in 2012, 10,235 out of 1,03,848 were proven false. After this data was released, the Supreme Court had observed that the law meant to combat the menace of harassment of women by their husband or in-laws was often being used as a “weapon rather than shield by disgruntled wives”. The IPC 498A being a cognisable and non-bailable offence only worsens the plight of those falsely accused. Sections 354, 509 and 376 are there to protect women, and not to terrorise innocent men. If there is a National Commission for Women to address the rights and grievances of women, #MenToo believes it’s only logical and fair to have a National Commission for Men in place to do the same.

Even though some women sneer at the need to protect men on the grounds that we were once a patriarchal society, innocent men of today need not suffer because of what Indian society ostensibly once was. Fact is, be it to be the providers, not show vulnerability, and now deal with misuse of laws against them and their families, the pressure on men is extreme. WHO data states that suicide rate in India is 16.4 women per 100,000 v/s 25.8 for men.

Pro-women movements like #MeToo were amazing till umpteen cases came to light about its misuse and even how PR agents were egging on young starlets to put a hashtag on someone to get a slice of limelight. And this is where the problem lies. Such practices dilute a movement like #MeToo as well as other women’s rights movements, and work against laws created to protect women. This dilution, please note, is not due to men, but women themselves. To brazenly put false accusations on men because there can be no apparent repercussions for women is highly dangerous to society and once again, a violation of human rights. In an era of consensual pre-marital sex, Tinder and live-in relationships, women cannot be put on untouchable pedestals as they oscillate from being emancipated one moment to suddenly being helpless the next. Rape is a heinous crime, #MenToo would like to demand clarity in law as to what defines a rape. A woman claiming rape because a man refuses to marry her, or because she wants to settle scores is hugely disrespectful to women who have actually been put through the trauma of real rape and abuse and their fight for justice. While #MeToo emphasised naming and shaming, #MenToo focuses on protecting the identity of both victim and accused until proven guilty.

It’s time for activists, politicians and society as a whole to recognise #MenToo as a movement that protects society, men, women and families without discrimination and that it is a movement for a free, equal and respectful society that will bring law, order and punishment to the guilty, irrespective of gender.

By Pooja Bedi (BOMBAY TIMES; May 9, 2019)

My best friend Karan Oberoi has been arrested for “Rape & extortion” and drugging and filming the complainant. The publicly known facts of the case are that they met end 2016 on a dating app. In October 2018, Karan Oberoi filed an NC against the woman for harassment. In her interview to the Times of India in November 2018, she states they had been in “a relationship”, that she had showered him with gifts and done up his apartment, and that she felt bad to pressure him for marriage because he was in a bad financial position. However, this week in May 2019 she has filed a case of rape and extortion, claiming it happened sometime in January 2017. The statements in her interview given in November 2018 are in direct contrast to her FIR in May 2019, which states that the “alleged” crime took place in 2017.

It’s glaringly obvious at to what is going on, but we cannot term it a fake case until it proven to be so in court of law. But what happens in the interim. She has cleverly lodged the FIR the day the High Court went to holiday so he can’t apply for bail for a month. The media has jumped on to it, hashtags of #rapist, loss of his reputation and years of fan following, damage to his career, his family is in turmoil, the physical distress given conditions of lock up... the list goes on. We showed the police overwhelming evidence in regards to her messages on his phone, but the saddest part is even if the police can see that the man is innocent, they have to take action based on the FIR, arrest him and follow due process of law. Even more bizarre was that he and she were both sent for medical tests even though the alleged incident happened 2.5 years ago, because it’s due process. This brings into focus the increasing need to focus on men’s rights as a human rights issue as well. Over the years, there has been a steady clamour among single and married men in India as to how provisions of the law meant to protect women are being misused by women for personal vendetta and extortion. I’m all for women power and women’s rights and come from a family of very strong, dynamic and liberated women who have heralded change and reform for women and their rights.

However, today (and I have done so in the past as well), I firmly stand in support of men’s rights and beginning of a #MenToo movement. The rising number of fake cases against men is not only women against men, but also women against women, as it weakens the purpose it was created for. The joy of knowing that a woman’s rights are protected and she has strong recourse in law is now increasingly being met with suspicion as to whether it’s a case of misuse. We cannot have an equal society if we are so focussed on protecting what we consider a “weaker sex”, that we refuse to openly acknowledging rising number of women as tyrants. Being a “rape or abuse complainant” gives women an almost “holy cow” status and people get scared to point out that she’s lying or manipulating the law. It’s almost sacrilegious to challenge a woman’s claim or to stand up for a man if you consider him a victim. Women have rights, but they are not above the law and that needs to be made very clear by prosecuting women who file fake cases. We need to have equally stringent punishments for women who unfairly and baselessly use provisions of law to subject men to tough laws and procedures. Most importantly, in the quest for equal rights is the need to protect the identity of men until they are proven guilty. Why is only a woman’s reputation sacred and not a man’s? Does he not have a career? Social respect? Family? If a woman is found guilty of a fake case, she should also be publicly named and shamed, like what happens to men. Let’s focus on equal laws to protect, equal laws to punish, and a fight for an equal society. It’s time for #MenToo.

Pooja Bedi got engaged to her boyfriend Maneck Contractor on this Valentine’s Day
Debarati Sen (BOMBAY TIMES; February 22, 2019)

Pooja Bedi is excited about entering a new phase in her life. The actress-columnist is all set to get married to her boyfriend, Maneck Contractor. Pooja says that Maneck took her on a hot-air balloon ride on Valentine’s Day, and went down on his knee to pop the question. The couple is planning a wedding later this year, after they align the dates of her daughter’s (Aalia Furniturewalla) shooting schedule and her son’s (Omar Ebrahim) college holidays. In a quick chat with BT, Pooja talks about how she met Maneck, and why she believes in fairy tales even more now. Excerpts…

Let’s go back to the beginning. When and how did you and Maneck first meet?
Actually, Maneck and I have known each other since our boarding-school days. He was three years my senior. Though we weren’t that familiar with each other back then, we’ve always had common friends. Last year, he posted about his new venture in Goa on a chat group, and I went there to review it. That was how we reconnected.

You got divorced (from Farhan Furniturewalla) in 2003. Since then, it has taken you over 15 years to find Mr Right...
Every time you are in a relationship, you hope that this is the one. However, when you meet the person you are destined to be with, you don’t hope, you just know that he is the one. The beauty of our relationship is that it has been effortless in every way. Our families have merged beautifully. He has a wonderful open-hearted, jovial, Parsi family, who welcomed me. My kids, too, adore him. He is extraordinarily kind and cooks up a storm in the kitchen, which is an incredibly sexy quality (laughs!).

You said that your children — Aalia and Omar Ebrahim — adore Maneck. Have they been waiting for you to settle down for a while?
I got divorced on February 14, 2003, and got engaged on February 14, 2019. I have had relationships in between and my kids have liked every person that I have been with. But it is very different with Maneck — they adore him and want him in our lives forever, which is a wonderful feeling as a single parent. They are happy that I am settling down finally. They have wanted this for me for the longest time. It’s a wonderful phase — my son is studying abroad, my daughter is entering films and the empty nest syndrome that a lot of mothers face has been filled beautifully by this relationship and my journey ahead with Maneck.

Tell us about your wedding plans...
Our wedding will take place later this year, when we align dates of Aalia’s shoot and my son’s college holidays.

Riya Sharma (BOMBAY TIMES; July 28, 2018)

As part of their Orientation Week, freshers at Bennett University got a lesson in happiness from Pooja Bedi on Wednesday. The actress visited the university in Greater Noida to conduct a session titled Happy Souls. Excited students had grabbed their seats long before she had reached BU, and patiently waited for her. “This is going to be interesting, I’m very excited,” said Pooja as she began.

The actress and columnist started with talking about the future of the students, which she said should not just be about getting a job. “You need to give something back to the planet or society. This should be the purpose of your life,” she said to the students. At the end, she also taught them some fun exercises to release pressure and anxiety.

‘LIFE IS LIKE A ROLLER COASTER RIDE’
In her session, Pooja named some jobs that might become obsolete in a few years, and said that therefore, students should think about giving back to society, and not just about getting a job. “In the near future, you will not have teachers teaching you physically. You will be taught by virtual reality. The jobs that you are studying for might become obsolete. The problem is that the questions that you have been asked continuously are the wrong questions — ‘What do you want to do when you grow up?’ The question we need to ask is ‘How do you want to contribute to either humanity or the planet?’ You all should be able to say, ‘I am incredibly passionate about my planet’,” said the actress.

She added that we should enjoy life like a roller coaster ride. “It is normal to be sad, it is normal to be frustrated and anxious, because it is human. Why on earth are we so pressurised and scared, so utterly scared to be sad or feeling anxious or frustrated? Everybody is going to lose somebody they love, everybody is going through financial problems, everybody is going to go through a heartbreak; it is normal. Accept that and take it as a roller coaster ride .You will go through moments which are very scary, but all you have to do is put on your seat belt and enjoy the ride. Good times do not last long, but neither do the bad times,” she said.

FUN EXERCISES THAT STUDENTS LOVED
Pooja also made the students do fun exercises to loosen up, helping those students individually who were not able to get some exercise right. “Bring your hands closer and feel the energy between your hands,” she guided students. While some followed her carefully, there was one student in the front who could not feel the energy. “You did not even try! You were just looking at me!” she laughed and said, and then helped the student perform the exercise.

Another exercise that students really enjoyed was when Pooja asked them to release their pressures and anxiety into an imaginary balloon. “Close your eyes and relax, we will learn how easy it is to let go of certain things. Visualise that near your feet, there is a bunch of black balloons. Pick up an empty balloon, blow the irritation into it, and throw it in the air. Feel the negative emotion, and let your negative emotion out,” she added.

WHEN GEORGE CLOONEY DISAPPOINTED POOJA BEDI!
Pooja also told the students about an experience that taught her to be careful about what we wish for. “This is about when I wanted to meet George Clooney. I used to say I am meant to meet this man. It became a topic of discussion in the family that Pooja wants to meet George Clooney. I was crazy about him. Four months later, my dad came to me and said, ‘Pooja, George Clooney is screening his film Michael Clayton at the Dubai Film Festival...’ and those of you who have watched the film The Secret know that when you really, really want something, it manifests. And now my path was opened to meet him, so I flew to Dubai and went for the screening. I took my seat, and he walked in, and where did he sit? Right in front of me. I could touch him if I reached out, and then my father introduced me to him and he complimented my gown. And I was staring at him and was shocked. He is quite a tiny man! So, the point is that you should be very careful about what you wish for. You should be very careful about what you want with that kind of energy and emotion,” she told the students.
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Bennett University has been established to provide students with an Ivy League quality education in India. The University’s strength lies in the programmes it offers in partnership with Georgia Tech (USA), Johnson Cornell (USA), Cornell Law School (USA), Babson Global (USA), edX. Bennett University’s application forms (2018) are available online. Application forms are available for B.Tech, MBA, BBA, Law and BA Mass Comm. To apply, log on to https://www.bennett.edu.in/admission/
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Sanyukta iyer (MUMBAI MIRROR; January 20, 2016)