Blaming cinema: Maneka Gandhi said recently that all romance in Hindi cinema starts with stalking; Bollywood’s eminent women react : Bollywood News

Shabana Azmi: “It’s a sweeping generalisation to say EVERY Indian film shows romance that starts with stalking. Definitions change with times and in today’s lingo a few films do show stalking as a legitimate precursor to romance. This needs to change and should start with actors being sensitised to their responsibilities as artists. No does not mean yes after a while. No means No period. There are some young filmmakers that include Zoya and Anurag Kashyap Dibakar Banerjee who feel strongly about this and have taken a conscious decision along with some colleagues to not legitimise stalking in their films.”

Blaming cinema: Maneka Gandhi said recently that all romance in Hindi cinema starts with stalking; Bollywood’s eminent women react

Pooja Bedi: “She sounds just like the Khap panchayat guy who blamed miniskirts for rape. Or the idiots who say chowmein and mobile phones are responsible for rape. Criminals are responsible for rape. A decent good man would never commit atrocities against women. By her logic every man on film censor board should be a heinous threat to women since he sees films and that too without cuts.”

Pooja Bhatt: “While Bollywood, like Hollywood and advertising objectifies women, in most instances it is not the cause of crimes against women as it cannot be the cure for the same either. Crimes against women which I label violence against women begins in the womb for most Indian women as most people would rather abort a female foetus and hope for a male heir. This was around from before Bollywood existed.”