Raveena Tandon slams star wives for backing predatory husbands

Actor criticises celebrity spouses for remaining silent when their partners destroy careers of co-stars


Entertainment Desk October 02, 2018
PHOTO: FILE

Bollywood starlet Raveena Tandon recently questioned what defines harassment in the film industry. She criticised star wives and girlfriends who choose to remain silent when their actor husbands destroy the career of several actresses after sexually exploiting them, reported Pinkvilla.

Taking to Twitter, Tandon wrote, “What defines harassment in a workplace? The fact that many industry wives and girlfriends are silent observers or instigators, when actor husbands destroy the careers of actresses after the chase and flirtation is over or have them replaced with other potential targets.”



The Andaz Apna Apna actor also shared a long post on her blog where she talked about such harassment in detail.

“So who decides what is the truth? In the 1990s this was so prevalent, where a married actor would have a discreet affair with the young heroine he was working with and expected the girl to show no emotion or sign of involvement. And God forbid if in a weak moment she does show, all hell would break loose!”'

Raveena last made a film appearance in Bombay Velvet. PHOTO: FILE Raveena last made a film appearance in Bombay Velvet. PHOTO: FILE

According to Tandon, the victim would lose her films with the co-star, not be spoken to by the film’s hero and get removed from whatever movies she would have with him and “his people”.

Stating Bollywood was a patriarchic industry back in the day, she added, "The industry was and maybe is still a hero-oriented one where terms and conditions are dictated by superstar male actors. Much before my generation, some heroines from the 1970s were driven to paranoia and ultimately declared schizophrenics and written off.”

Raveena believes in women having grace and femininity. PHOTO:FILE Raveena believes in women having grace and femininity. PHOTO:FILE

However, the situation improved when Tandon started her career in the 1990s. “In my generation the girls fought back but silently. If they spoke, either they were labelled pathological liars or be threatened by the macho heroes of physical violence. Nonetheless, the girls would quietly pick up the pieces of their hearts and careers and try to let their work speak."

However, the actor today addressed her blog, which she claims she wrote two years ago.

"An old blog of mine is now making the rounds on different publication sites. This written two years ago, strangely now republished everywhere as a newly written blog,which actually has no connection with the Tanushree Dutta case. The blog deals with harassment at the workplace," Tandon wrote.



In another tweet, the Dilwale star shed light on claims that her jibe was towards former flame Akshay Kumar. Tandon denied allegations and wrote, "Some not so clever people making a connect without any knowledge of my past. My  observations are not my life alone. It's all what I’ve seen happen to women around in my industry. Colleagues and friends. Not targeting any one person. In fact remained friends did movies."



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