Actor Susmita Mukherjee on drawing from the underbelly of Bollywood for her debut fiction
Debjani Paul (MID-DAY; November 4, 2018)

Never has the underbelly of Bollywood been as exposed as it is now, as horrific accounts of sexual harassment continue to spill out in the #MeToo movement. But even before, there were always whispers, says film and TV actor Susmita Mukherjee. “I have no first-hand experience of this, but we would hear whispers [of sexual misconduct],” says Mukherjee, who explores the same dark side of the film industry in her debut novel, Mee And Juhibaby (Speaking Tiger).

The book follows the journey of the eponymous protagonist, Mee, short for Meehika, a successful Bollywood actor who faces a failed marriage and a bruising rejection from a movie mogul, plunging her into a world of alcohol, promiscuity and obesity. Is there a #MeToo story in Mee’s journey? “She has an extramarital affair, but it is not a #MeToo story. It was consensual,” says Mukherjee.

Eventually, as Mee turns to writing for TV, she reconnects with her estranged mother, Juhibaby, who is blind and ailing, living in an old age home. Parts of Mee’s life are similar to Mukherjee’s, who is a well-known face from films and TV, as well as a screenwriter and playwright (her first script was turned into the play Nati, which opened at Prithvi Theatre in 1990). But that is where the similarities end. “This is a work of fiction. She’s a theatre and film actor like me, but the things that happen to her in the book did not happen in my life. Of course, as a first-time writer, I have drawn from things I have heard of in the industry. But I’ve never seen this underbelly personally,” she clarifies.

The #MeToo storm has struck people in her work life, however. In the TV serial Tara, her onscreen husband was played by Alok Nath, aka Sanskaari Babuji, who stands accused of rape and harassment by multiple women. The first of these allegations was made by Vinta Nanda, who was also the writer for Tara. “I have worked with Alok and Vinta on Tara. I don’t wish to speak about this,” was all Mukherjee said on the matter.

Asked whether she had ever faced any sexual misconduct or had to walk away from a job because of it, she says, “Yes [to walking away from a job].” “I had a very strong marriage with my husband, and I didn’t need that role to survive. I walked away from projects and that was my choice. But, I also recognise that some people do need the job, and they may not have that [choice],” she adds.

As someone with a direct window into the industry, what does she think of the #MeToo movement? “There is something very therapeutic about coming out and speaking up. I have compassion for all these women, who feel like they are now ready to come forward. But I feel admiration for women in rural areas, who don’t have the same education or privilege, but have the courage to stand up for themselves immediately, no matter the cost. Both ways, there is no judgment.”

Bollywood is only one part of this tale, emphasises Mukherjee. “At its heart, it’s a story about mothers and daughters. It is about our relationship with our mothers, and their’s with their mother. It’s about how Mee And Juhibaby reunite and find it in their hearts to forgive each other and build a bond despite their differences. This book is my way of saying goodbye; it’s a prelude to moving away. India has been lost to me because a cultural shift has occurred. The election results dealt a deathblow. They unleashed something that I don’t wish to be caught in. I’d rather not be reduced to a marginal character in this India,” she ends.

On Monday, a TV writer-producer, who was behind the 90s’ popular show, Tara, took to social media, to share details of the assault she suffered at the hands of the male lead actor of her show, who she described as “actor par excellence, who is known as the most #sanskaari (cultured) person in the film and television industry”. She stated that her ordeal began when she expelled him from her show, after the lead actress complained of harassment. On Tuesday, she confirmed to a news agency that the perpetrator she was referring to is Alok Nath. Excerpts from BT’s conversation with her...
Seema Mattoo (BOMBAY TIMES; October 10, 2018)

Recalling the alleged abuse by actor Alok Nath, she says that it left her scarred forever. She maintains that she had spoken of the incidents, which took place between 1997-2000, earlier, but the matter just got buried. “In 2003–04, I had given interviews, but had not taken his name. However, it was very clear as to who I was referring to. Back then, I was labelled as the trouble-maker. It was forgotten soon enough and never came up again. It’s only now that the issue has come to the limelight, since the young generation is a no-nonsense generation. They have created an environment where one can speak up and expect to be heard. His name is out there now. I have said it in no uncertain terms that the man who abused me is Alok Nath. I have not hidden the name.”

The recent #MeToo movement got her thinking that it was now or never to out her perpetrator. She says, “I was toying with the idea for the past three-four weeks now, but obviously, my mother and sister who I live with, were not for it at all. But when I came back from work on Monday, I decided to sit down and post it. The #MeToo movement gave me the courage to speak up. I’m a feminist and was guilty of not having broken my silence, hence, I did it. I told the absolute truth about what happened to me. I used to feel uncomfortable that on one hand, I was talking about feminism and on the other, I was a terrified person myself. So, for me, it was important to get over it first and then talk about feminism and women’s rights, because you can’t hole up such a dark tale within yourself, and then, tell others to carry the flag forward.”

CINTAA (Cine & TV Artists Association)’s reaction in the recent cases, too, encouraged her. “What pushed me was when I saw Sushant Singh (CINTAA general secretary) and Amit Bahl (CINTAA honorary general secretary) walk their talk,” she says.

The #MeToo movement has become like a tidal wave and she says that she can see the difference in the reactions that she has been getting now. “It is carrying the whole discourse forward and has given me the confidence,” she shares.

While she has got tremendous support on social media, the entertainment industry, too, has rallied behind her. She says, “The first call I got was from Vidya Balan. Subsequently, many from the entertainment industry said that they stand by me.”

So, will she lodge an official complaint? “I had not expected it to become this big, since I posted it on my private Facebook page, but it has just taken off with people calling me and lending their support, some of whom I only know through social media. My mother is totally supportive of this now. Lawyers are calling me and saying that they will guide me to take the legal route. I don’t know how to handle this wave of solidarity. I have no plans at the moment, I just wanted to let it out of my system,” she replies.

She also wants this to be a lesson for those who keep quiet and accept abuse as a part of their lives, “I know the consequences of silence and I know what I have gone through, because I have been silent for so many years. Once you are treated as someone who will be silent, it becomes even worse. I want young people to understand the consequences of this kind of silence.”
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Joining India's #MeToo movement on Monday, Vinta Nanda made a shocking revelation, accusing actor Alok Nath of raping her, not once but twice. In a first-person account, the writer-producer of the popular 90s show Tara explains why she felt the need to speak up
As told to Avinash Lohana (MUMBAI MIRROR; October 10, 2018)

I’m relieved that the truth is out and I’m rid of the burden I’ve been carrying for years. I had only expected my family and friends to react to my Facebook post. I had not expected it to snowball into this.

Back when the incident happened, those I had confided in, including my family, had told me to shut up and forget about it. But I wasn’t able to do so. I spoke about it in an interview to the ToI and had even written a piece in a magazine. The only reason I didn’t take the person’s name was because everyone in my list of friends knows who the ‘sanskari’ lead actor of the TV show Tara was. But those who asked me who I was talking about were told it is Alok Nath. There was no attempt to hide anything.

As I had mentioned in my Facebook post, the first incident happened after I went to a party at his place. His wife was out of town but it was usual for our group of friends from theatre to meet regularly so there was nothing unusual about it. As the evening flowed, my drinks were mixed and I began to feel strange. So, at around 2 am I left his house and was walking down an empty street when Alok Nath accosted me and asked me to get into the car saying he’d drop me home which was at a distance. I got into the car because I knew him and trusted him. He was my best friend’s husband. I can remember more liquor being poured into my mouth and being violated endlessly in my own house.

After that, when I started writing a second series which featured him, he created an environment in which I felt threatened. Later, when he called me to his house, I went and allowed myself to be violated because I needed the job, I needed the money. But after that second incident, I walked away and never had anything to do with him again. I met his wife a couple of times, I had told her what had happened but it was brushed away and forgotten. The ideal situation would be for him to own up to his mistake and apologise. But that didn’t happen.

I moved on, but it was unfinished business and continued to bother me. Also, my silence was misconstrued as fear and some people took advantage of it. When the #MeToo movement happened, I brought it up again, and when it picked up pace in India, I was distinctly uncomfortable because I’m known as a feminist who takes up for women’s rights. I started to feel hypocritical about not opening up on the incident. The same friends who had stopped me earlier, now advised me to speak up and get it out of my system. On Monday evening, while watching the news, I just wrote and uploaded the post on FB, unedited, before telling my mother what I had done.

Today, I am speaking out because I want to tell every young girl that if you keep silent, you will be trapped in a vicious circle. The more you hide facts, the more you stop change from happening and I don’t want that. We need to protect young girls from predators, what happened with me should not happen to anybody else.

Am I planning the legal route? I haven’t thought about it yet. It’s been over 24 hours since the post. Lots of people are advising me, and I am listening to all of them. But for now, I have no idea what I’m going to do next.


‘GLAD THAT THE POWER TRIP IS BEING CALLED OUT’

Navneet Nishan, who played the eponymous character in Vinta Nanda’s 90s show Tara, released a statement about her own #MeToo ordeal, without naming the alleged perpetrator, Alok Nath, her co-star on the show.

“I support every woman and man who is standing up for herself/himself in the 'Me too' movement. I empathise with Vinta for the terrible pain she has gone through; it is unimaginable. I dealt with the four-year harassment by slapping the man in question and it is done and dusted. I suffered the loss of the show and was further shamed by the man through media and I endured that. I fought my battles there and then. I am glad that the power trip and sexual dominance coming from this power is being called out. It is high time,” she said.

'IT MUST'VE HAPPENED BUT SOMEONE ELSE WOULD'VE DONE IT'

Hours before Navneet spoke up, Alok Nath, the “sanskari” actor against whom writer-producer Vinta Nanda levelled rape allegations, came forward with his side of the story.

“Neither I am denying this, nor do I would agree with it. It (rape) must have happened, but someone else would have done it. Well, I do not want to talk much about it as for the matter if it has come out, it will be stretched,” the veteran actor was quoted as saying in a TV interview.