Tag Archives: metoo movement

Sri Reddy row: Telugu Film Industry promises CASH committees, Helplines, Toilets and more

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Amid an ugly #MeToo movement when actress Sri Reddy bared her body in the public, the shocked Telugu film industry (TFI) has come up with a series of steps to ensure women’s safety.

In a statement, the Telugu Film industry said that it has decided collectively to deal with the matter with utmost urgency and in a wholistic manner. Despite several means to air one’s grievances, the statement said a few people have chosen “alternative platforms” to air their grievances that has caused concern.

Hence, the TFI said it has collectively decided to take a few short term and long term measures.

To begin with the Telugu film industry has decided to set up a Panel against sexual harassment. It comprises 50 percent non-industry members to give it a greater transparency and integrity. These members include doctors, members from NGOs, psychologists, educationists, ex-government officials among others. Currently, a legal framework of the the guidelines for this panel are being prepared by a team of legal experts, said the statement.

The industry bodies have given guidelines to producers council, MAA, and TFDA about the measures to be taken to enhance women safety, including setting up of CASH committees as per Vishakha guidelines, providing minimum toilet facilities and decent changing rooms to junior artists, character artists doing auditions only in in-camera facilities and in the presence of at least one other woman present, avoid using profane language in any form of communication.

The defensive Telugu Film Industry said it is in the process of conducting various meetings with women groups within the industry to be able to understand in greater depth their specific issues following which more concrete policies can be framed.

Interestingly, the panel against sexual harassment will have a direct hotline with women teams to take up swift measures. Besides, the helplines via email, phone, SMS have been set up so women can easily approach the panel with complaints, said the statement without giving further details about any hotline.

It said licenses will be issued soon to model coordinators so that the candidates are properly vetted and made accountable. It assured counselling for new actors who are wishing to enter the Telugu Film Industry.

#MeToo knocks the door of Indore as 2 men try to pull skirt of model on scooter

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Last week the #MeToo movement reached its peak in Hyderabad when an actress bared her top in protest against ‘Casting Couch’ in the Telugu Film Industry. Almost everybody familiar with the Telugu films were shocked to know the dark side of the film industry.

While many parents are swearing not ever send their children to act as models or actors in the film industry, an Indore incident has further gripped the pulse of the nation. The model was wearing a skirt and riding a scooter when two men on a two-wheeler tried to pull her skirt.

She fell down trying to stop them from doing that. "It happened on one of the busiest roads of Indore, and nobody tried to stop them," she wrote in her blog soon after the incident.

Now, an Indore-based model has come out with a narrated an incident of sexual harassment, wherein two men allegedly tried to pull her skirt while she was driving a two-wheeler.

She took to social media Monday to delineate the incident that took place on a busy road in Indore.

"This happened today. Two guys tried to pull my skirt while I was on my activa and said, ‘dikhao Iske niche Kya hai?’ I tried to stop them and lost control and met with an accident. It happened on one of the busiest roads of indore, and nobody tried to stop them."

She could not see the number of the duo’s vehicle. A passer-by helped her to get up but not without saying, "It’s because you’re wearing a skirt!", which left her more offended. "What I want to wear is my f**king choice. Those guys don’t have any right to harass me because WEARING A SKIRT DOESN’T GIVE YOU A RIGHT TO BEHAVE LIKE THAT," she wrote in a blog on Instagram.

She returned to the place of incident but found no CCTV cameras to cover the spot. "I’m registering a police complaint tomorrow. I don’t know if they will be able to find those guys, but if I don’t do it right now, it defeats my purpose," she concluded.

If this is in India, in Hollywood the #MeToo movement is gaining supporters and hecklers alike. Last week, Karl Lagerfeld, the creative director behind great brands such as Chanel and Fendi, disparaged the #MeToo movement asking models not to get in the profession if they "don’t want" their "pants pulled about".

He is no different from the uncle in Indore who said that the incident happened because the model was wearing a skirt. Perhaps, the mindset of the whole world, especially of the elderly men, should change.

Sri Reddy row: MAA heeds Pawan Kalyan, turns ire on TV channels

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The Telugu film industry’s own version of #MeToo movement has taken an ugly political turn when actor-cum-aspiring politician Pawan Kalayan was dragged in to it unwittingly.

The month-old saga of Sri Reddy set the Telugu film industry in a state of shock when she stripped herself on Hyderabad roads on April 7, exactly two weeks ago. Soon, she revealed the top producers, directors and individuals involved in the so-called ‘casting couch’ tirade unleashed on women aspirants in to the film field.

The real drama began when she appealed to Pawan Kalyan, who is at cudgils with the estranged ruling TDP and the AP chief minister Chandrababu Naidu. In his response, he asked her to approach the police.

Intrigued at his response, Sri Reddy called him names and used abusive language and apologized for calling him a brother. She took out her own sandal and slapped her own cheek i disgust, claiming police complaint would be a hogwash in such cases. Another Telugu film director Ram Gopal Verma, who was waiting in the wings, claimed that it was he who played the “Sutradhari” and apologized to Pawan Kalyan.

Even Sri Reddy apologized but Pawan Kalyan has unleashed his anger this time and forced AP CM and his son, AP9 TV channel owner, host of others into the row for bringing him disrepute on TV channels repeatedly telecasting the public rant of Sri Reddy against him.

On Friday, the building of the apex body Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce, in Hyderabad’s Film Nagar, took the centre-stage with the entire Chiranjeevi’s family and fans attending and the meeting where Pawan Kalyan discussed the next course of action. He questioned why the Movie Artists Association (MAA) did not initiate any action against what he called ‘erring’ TV channels.

Notwithstanding, Ram Gopal Verma has given out his version to answer Pawan Kalyan. Today, the chamber is meeting to discuss and release its statement against the TV channels which have been airing the news of Sri Reddy and giving her undue publicity.

Already Telugu TV news channels, including TV9, TV5 and Mahaa News have taken exception to Pawan Kalyan’s tweets alleging aspersion on them. “When Pawan Kalyan is doing Pada Yatra, he needs us to cover but not when we cover victims of ‘casting coach’ in the Telugu film industry. He cannot tell us what to cover and what not to cover,” said Allam Narayana of TV5.

The the Movie Artists Association is meeting on saturday in Hyderabad to issue a statement supporting Pawan Kalyan and initiating legal notices to all the TV channels which have broadcast the rant by Sri Reddy.

As politics entered the Telugu film industry’s #MeToo movement, the desired dilution has happened and the attention is wholly on a bigger name Pawan Kalyan, not Sri Reddy now.

#MeToo movement hits Telugu film industry, Sri Reddy leads it the nude way

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The heatwave generated by the “Me Too” movement in Hollywood is now sweeping the Telugu film industry when TV journalist-turned-actress Sri Reddy removed her clothes in protest against sexual harassment by brokers and middlemen.

She was arrested immediately for creating nuisance in public space but she was able to dent the image of the worsening Telugu film industry with allegations of “casting couch” or sexual harassment being as common as putting on make up before the clap of a scene.

Sri Reddy Leaks preceded Saturday street show (Sri Reddy/Facebook)

Sri Reddy has her own demands, some personal and many for the industry’s new entrants. She has been denied membership in the Movie Artistes Association (MAA) but her overture has left many Telugu film directors and producers in a shock. Her candid interview on a TV channel recently left viewers wondering how many women artistes end up washing sperms off their bodies every morning.

The actress has long been making allegations that the Telugu film industry is denying local Telugus the genuine roles and encouraging imported heroines from the north or Bollywood, while Mumbai ill-treats Telugu artistes or relegates them to minor roles. Despite sending nude photos, rarely they get any role befitting the promise made to them, she says.

Her “Sri Leaks” on Facebook has been raging over the last 10 days and the actress is openly challenging directors, brokers and middlemen for not honouring their word to get roles for local Telugu artistes but paving the red carpet for imported non-Telugu actresses.

One director Sekhar Kammula, whose name she revealed openly, has warned her of a defamation case. In his Facebook post, the director said: “APOLOGIZE and take back every word that was posted against me or be ready to face legal action, which will include criminal/ civil proceedings (sic).” He was known for his Telugu hits such as ‘Fidaa’ last year and ‘Happy Days’ earlier.

Undaunted, Sri Reddy is adamant as ever. She said she is ready to fight legally as she has every proof to back all her allegations. That’s where the ill-reputed industry is caught clueless.

Following the Saturday street nude show by Sri Reddy, the Telugu Film Chamber of Commerce rushed to a closed-door meeting in Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad where Rakul Preet, Manchu Lakshmi and director Nandini Reddy among others, discussed the impact and action to be taken against her.

But Hollywood #MeToo movement has reached Hyderabad much earlier than expected.