Renuka Shahane says, “MeToo was very important”; speaks on the importance of “Collective feeling of catharsis” : Bollywood News

The year 2017 witnessed the fall of Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein after he was accused of rape, sexual assault and abuse by multiple women in an exposé by the New York Times. Soon, the movement became a global phenomenon, which apparently started conversations around sexual harassment. A bunch of women from India also spoke about their experience and recalled being the victim. However, a section of society questioned those women who came out after 10-25 years. Speaking of the same, actress Renuka Shahane came forward to extend her support while slamming how women are told to not speak up.

Renuka Shahane says, “MeToo was very important”; speaks on the importance of “Collective feeling of catharsis”

It all happened during her conversation with Pinkvilla, where she asserted, “In fact, ‘mat bolo’ is something that women are told so often from childhood. I feel catharsis is necessary. MeToo was very important because if not anything else, that collective feeling of catharsis that a lot of women went through for what they had gone through maybe 10 years, 25 years ago. People say ‘why after 25 years?’ Arey aap bolne kab dete ho? (When do you let women speak).”

Explaining her take further, she further added, “Maximum abuse happens within families and if a child– whether a boy or a girl — tells the parents, how many parents are willing to give up on their elders or family relationships on the basis of what the child has said? So, I think it starts from there,” She also added that instead of the perpetrator, a child/victim is only “made to feel guilty.”

As the conversation progressed further, Shahane also stated that she wondered if people have not approached her for work because they think she is outspoken. She said, “People do get uncomfortable if a woman is intelligent, or asks questions. Even on supposedly, gender-equal sets, sometimes a woman actor asking questions about the character, is looked down upon as, ‘Bohot sawaal poochti hai (She asks too many questions’.) But if the man is asking questions, he is driven and committed. People judge women much more in a negative light. Women with a voice are called difficult.”

Also Read: Renuka Shahane talks about her Circus co-star Shah Rukh Khan, “You ask him to work for 36 hours at a stretch, he would do it without complaining”