It’s Too Early To Speak, But We’re Trying To Start Something Important: Parineeti Chopra On #MeToo And The Next Steps For Bollywood Actresses

The #MeToo movement seems to have picked up momentum in Bollywood, with allegations of sexual misconduct being leveled at directors Sajid Khan and Vikas Bahl, and those of attempted rape being made against Subhash Ghai. Like the actresses, technicians and other members of the Malayalam film industry, who formed the Women In Cinema Collective – a non-profit meant to address issues faced by female industry members – last year, we asked Parineeti if the women of Bollywood would band together to call for action. Here's what she said:

"It's weird you asked me this today because that has started just about today. I just started getting messages from girls – I won't take names, it's too early. We're still trying to start something and do something important. Of course the silence has been a little surprising for all of us. Within the industry also, some of us have spoken and some of us are still adjusting to the facts and figuring out what their point of view is. I would like to give them the benefit of the doubt, I don't think anybody is trying to avoid it. I think people are just trying to understand what stand there really is because names that have been named are people everybody has had some sort of an association with. So maybe it's very hard to call it out immediately. I think it's only been five days, six days since the movement has officially started. I, like so many others who have started talking to each other just today, just this morning, have also accepted that it's taking time, but let's do something now. So I think it will change very quickly and I'm so happy that now there are a few of us who are actually fearless, who are not worrying about our associations with some of these people and calling it the way it is. And that's the only way. There are victims who have bigger problems than us. We should not be worrying about how this could affect our career or our relationship with these people. It's okay, that's a very very small price to pay. We really need to stand up for these girls first."