The 'nari' (woman) protection brigade is out to prove I'm a lecher: Shatrughan Singha

Actor-politician said his comments on the MeToo movement are "misconstrued and an attempt to malign" him


Entertainment Desk February 08, 2019
PHOTO: FILMFARE

Actor-politician Shatrughan Sinha has responded to his jocular comments on the MeToo movement as "misconstrued and an attempt to malign" him.

He feels the MeToo movement is tampering with the healthy equation between men and women at the workplace.

"Men are afraid to open their mouths in front of women. Pataa nahin kya bolne se kya matlab nikala jayega (Who knows what is interpreted as what). I spoke in good humour about the fear of being called out, that all of us in the entertainment industry are staring at, and look at the way the 'nari' (woman) protection brigade is out to prove I'm a lecher," he said of the criticism of his comments at a book launch.

PHOTO: INDIAN EXPRESS PHOTO: INDIAN EXPRESS

But he is not backing down.

"I speak with the highest regard for all women, and stand by their right to be treated with dignity and respect. Don't forget I've two powerful women, my wife Poonam and my daughter Sonakshi at home. My sons Luv and Kush and I happily let them be the boss of our home," he added.

What had he said that has raised the hackles of so many?

"Today is the time of MeToo, and there shouldn't be any shame or hesitation to say that behind a successful man's fall is a woman. Behind the troubles and infamy of successful men, there have been mostly women that I've seen in this movement.

PHOTO: INDIAN EXPRESS PHOTO: INDIAN EXPRESS

"I really call myself fortunate that in today's times, tamam harkate karne ke bawajood (despite everything that I have done), my name hasn't come out in the #MeToo movement. Hence, I listen to my wife and often take her as a shield with me so that even if there's nothing, I can show that I am happily married, my life is good," he had said.

Sinha stands by his words.

"Of course I am fortunate that I haven't been called out. I am a very friendly person, have always been warm and talkative, and I used to flirt harmlessly with my heroines before I got married," he said. "They never seem to mind my innocuous flirting. But now how am I supposed to be sure that some lady won't come forward to say she objected to my behaviour 30-40 years ago but couldn't come forward to speak as I was too powerful?"

PHOTO: INDIAN EXPRESS PHOTO: INDIAN EXPRESS

He feels the MeToo movement is being misused within the entertainment industry.

"There is a difference between being sexually harassed and re-interpreting or misinterpreting an interaction in the past as sexual harassment. Names like Subhash Ghai and Rajkumar Hirani are being called out without substantiated evidence. Men who have toiled for years to build a reputation for themselves are losing it over a tweet. So of course I stand by what I said," he went on.

"Behind many successful men's downfall there is a woman or several women these days. This is a fact. How is it disrespectful to women? And who decides what is respectful and what is not? Why have some self-appointed guardians of morality made themselves the MeToo movement their personal property, to be used as when and how they wish," he asked.

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COMMENTS (1)

Ali Safdar | 5 years ago | Reply If there is Law against "Sexual Harassments", so there should be complete definition of Sexual harassments and should be assumed as sexual-inter-course! If a man is advancing by what, physical force or just giving signals, so just the signals can be harassment but not sexual. This could be avoided by both by discussions or with colleagues if not by police and that’s it. But if it reaches to any physical harm so the law again comes. If it is mutual, it is no Sexual harassment. Just by maligning some male or even a female in "Me-Too" is nonsense! What are the law says if anyone accuses a person of, say 90 years old, what can be done without any evidence! This is rubbish without any proof and evidence!
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