As the ‘Weinstein effect’ makes waves in Hollywood, will Bollywood even feel a ripple?
Some women say sexual harassment is rife in India’s film industry, but naming and shaming is not part of the culture
When Indian actress Divya Unny flew into the southern state of Kerala in 2015, she thought it was for a business meeting with an award-winning director about a role in his upcoming film.
Instead, she was called to the director’s hotel room at 9pm, where the man propositioned her for sex and told her she would have to make compromises if she wanted to succeed in the film industry.
“You always hear of actresses getting called by directors to hotel rooms at night, but I didn’t think twice because I was going in with a reference,” she said.
Unny said she rejected the advances of the director, whom she declined to name, and left without a role in the film.
Three other women involved in India’s film industry, the world’s largest, said Unny’s experience isn’t unique. But even after allegations of sexual assault and harassment levelled at Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein prompted a wave of similar complaints, Bollywood has been reluctant to name and shame perpetrators.