Thousands demonstrate against sexual violence at Paris protest

A deep-seated cultural preference for boys appears to be prevalent in Pakistan's Karachi.

According to local media reports, hundreds of dead bodies of newborns have been recovered from garbage piles across Pakistan in the last few months.

A report in The News International said, "From January 2017 to April 2018, Edhi foundation and Chhipa Welfare organisation have found 345 such new born babies dumped in garbage in Karachi only and 99 percent of them were girls."

In February, a case was reported from Karachi's Edhi Center, wherein a 4-day-old girl was found dead with her throat slit.

Chhipa Welfare Foundation said that they came across 93 such cases in Karachi. Of them, seventy cases were reported in 2017, while 23 this year.

In another barbaric incident, a newborn was reportedly stoned to death by a Karachi-based cleric.

"A few people found a baby at the doorstep of a mosque in Karachi and they handed the baby over to the prayer leader. The cleric decried that this is an 'illegitimate baby' and he should be stoned. Resultantly, the baby was stoned to death," The News International quoted Anwar Kazmi, a senior manager at Edhi Foundation Karachi, as saying.

He further informed that he tried to register a case against the cleric but no action was taken.

Kazmi informed that usually, kids born out of wedlocks were abandoned and that girls were targeted more than the boys due to some social stigma.

As per the news piece, the police investigations in cases of female infanticide were not strong enough. Firstly, people refrained themselves from reporting such incidents to the law enforcing authorities and secondly, those cases were avoided. The laws to prevent crimes against infants were often violated.

The article also quoted an Oxford Institute of Population Ageing study, which found that couples in Pakistan bore children until they had the desired number of sons and daughters.

The research showed that the family planning decisions in the country were more favourable to boys as sons were perceived more valuable than daughters.

Hundreds of dead bodies of newborns have been recovered from garbage piles across Pakistan in the last few months

A deep-seated cultural preference for boys appears to be prevalent in Pakistan's Karachi. According to local media reports, hundreds of dead bodies of newborns have been recovered from garbage piles across Pakistan in the last few months. A report in The News International said, "From January 2017 to April 2018, Edhi foundation and Chhipa Welfare organisation have found 345 such new born babies dumped in garbage in Karachi only and 99 percent of them were girls." In February, a case was reported from Karachi's Edhi Center, wherein a 4-day-old girl was found dead with her throat slit. Chhipa Welfare Foundation said that they came across 93 such cases in Karachi. Of them, seventy cases were reported in 2017, while 23 this year. In another barbaric incident, a newborn was reportedly stoned to death by a Karachi-based cleric. "A few people found a baby at the doorstep of a mosque in Karachi and they handed the baby over to the prayer leader. The cleric decried that this is an 'illegitimate baby' and he should be stoned. Resultantly, the baby was stoned to death," The News International quoted Anwar Kazmi, a senior manager at Edhi Foundation Karachi, as saying. He further informed that he tried to register a case against the cleric but no action was taken. Kazmi informed that usually, kids born out of wedlocks were abandoned and that girls were targeted more than the boys due to some social stigma. As per the news piece, the police investigations in cases of female infanticide were not strong enough. Firstly, people refrained themselves from reporting such incidents to the law enforcing authorities and secondly, those cases were avoided. The laws to prevent crimes against infants were often violated. The article also quoted an Oxford Institute of Population Ageing study, which found that couples in Pakistan bore children until they had the desired number of sons and daughters. The research showed that the family planning decisions in the country were more favourable to boys as sons were perceived more valuable than daughters.

Karachi's struggle with female infanticide

Kartik Aaryan is on cloud nine after the success of his latest film <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/entertainment-sonu-ke-titu-ki-sweety-doesnt-pit-bromance-against-romance-kartik-aaryan-32872">Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety</a>&nbsp;that has become one of the only few blockbusters of 2018.&nbsp;

Flanked by fans wherever he goes, Kartik now feels that he has gained a lot of female fans.

Speaking about the success of his films and fan following for him, Kartik said, “After PKP and now even more with Sonu Ke, I received a lot of female adulation. I don’t think a normal romantic film would have had the same effect. I loved playing <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/entertainment-kartik-aaryan-denies-being-labelled-misogynist-in-sone-ke-titu-ki-sweety-says-they-are-judging-sonu-not-me-35655">Sonu</a>. He has these shades of grey, is manipulative, but needs to be likeable as well. Sonu is as commercial as it gets."

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/entertainment-kartik-aaryan-spotted-on-a-date-with-a-mystery-girl-see-pics-128359">Also Read:&nbsp;Kartik Aaryan spotted on a date with a mystery girl, see pics</a>

Even though the movie did good commercially, many thought that Luv Ranjan’s film was sexist. When asked if he thought so too, Kartik said, "I don’t think so. Most films have men playing the villain, what does it say about men at large? We don’t have a problem with that. Why do we get uncomfortable with women playing a negative character? I think we should give more credit to our audience. They are smart, they will not get swayed so early."

The film along with Kartik Aaryan also had Nushrat Bharucha and Sunny Singh in lead roles.&nbsp;

Kartik was recently spotted walking the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/entertainment-kartik-aaryan-croons-ban-ja-tu-meri-rani-for-kareena-kapoor-internet-gets-upset-on-saifs-behalf-126889">ramp with Kareena Kapoor Khan</a> for designer Manish Malhotra’s show in Singapore.

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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/Bg0o7biBg1H/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">Jab we met</a>

<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/kartikaaryan/" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px;" target="_blank"> KARTIK AARYAN</a> (@kartikaaryan) on <time datetime="2018-03-27T09:59:00+00:00" style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;">Mar 27, 2018 at 2:59am PDT</time>
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&nbsp;

His latest film 'Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety' has been under the scanner for being sexist

Kartik Aaryan is on cloud nine after the success of his latest film Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety that has become one of the only few blockbusters of 2018. Flanked by fans wherever he goes, Kartik now feels that he has gained a lot of female fans. Speaking about the success of his films and fan following for him, Kartik said, “After PKP and now even more with Sonu Ke, I received a lot of female adulation. I don’t think a normal romantic film would have had the same effect. I loved playing Sonu. He has these shades of grey, is manipulative, but needs to be likeable as well. Sonu is as commercial as it gets." Also Read: Kartik Aaryan spotted on a date with a mystery girl, see pics Even though the movie did good commercially, many thought that Luv Ranjan’s film was sexist. When asked if he thought so too, Kartik said, "I don’t think so. Most films have men playing the villain, what does it say about men at large? We don’t have a problem with that. Why do we get uncomfortable with women playing a negative character? I think we should give more credit to our audience. They are smart, they will not get swayed so early." The film along with Kartik Aaryan also had Nushrat Bharucha and Sunny Singh in lead roles. Kartik was recently spotted walking the ramp with Kareena Kapoor Khan for designer Manish Malhotra’s show in Singapore. Jab we met A post shared by KARTIK AARYAN (@kartikaaryan) on Mar 27, 2018 at 2:59am PDT ×

Kartik Aaryan: Why do we get uncomfortable with women playing a negative character?

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan attended a celebrity event before the official start of the World Economic Forum&#39;s annual event at Davos on Tuesday.&nbsp;

The 52-year-old actor spoke against discrimination against women and sexism.&nbsp;

&quot;From them, I have learned how courage can catalyse victimhood into heroism,&quot; he said, referring to the acid victims.&nbsp;

&quot;We, the powerful, need to get out of the way, to pick the barriers apart, the ones that give us names and races and colours and hierarchies,&quot; he said.

&quot;That is what I have learned from my beautifully scarred women,&quot; he added.

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Extremely charged that I&#39;ve had this amazing opportunity, this award, being recognized like this for minuscule work that I did, I&#39;d like to do it with even more fervor. What is even more pleasant is that India is here in full power: Shah Rukh Khan in Davos <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WorldEconomicForum2018?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WorldEconomicForum2018</a> <a href="https://t.co/aWQI99YAE3">pic.twitter.com/aWQI99YAE3</a>
&mdash; ANI (@ANI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/955530330638659584?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 22, 2018</a></blockquote>
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The Raees actor also received an award for his charitable work for acid attack victims.

Other international celebrities in attendance included actress Cate Blanchett and singer Sir Elton John.&nbsp;

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<a href="https://twitter.com/TwitterMoments?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TwitterMoments</a> 
 
World Renowned Star Shah Rukh Khan ( <a href="https://twitter.com/iamsrk?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@iamsrk</a> ) &amp; Hollywood Actress Cate Blanchett Clicked Together at <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WorldEconomicForum2018?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WorldEconomicForum2018</a> DAVOS CrystalAwards .. 
 
Recognised by WEF for Humanatarian Cause globally ????????<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WEF18?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WEF18</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WorldEconomicForum?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WorldEconomicForum</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Davos2018?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Davos2018</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CrystalAwards?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CrystalAwards</a> <a href="https://t.co/IktnBm2lfH">pic.twitter.com/IktnBm2lfH</a>
&mdash; World Economic Forum (@DavosWef) <a href="https://twitter.com/DavosWef/status/955574592302587904?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 22, 2018</a></blockquote>
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You make India proud always ❤️ <a href="https://twitter.com/iamsrk?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@iamsrk</a> gets honored at the World Economic Forum for his humanitarian work.. <a href="https://t.co/wc4zFoUT9z">pic.twitter.com/wc4zFoUT9z</a>
&mdash; Pooja Dadlani (@pooja_dadlani) <a href="https://twitter.com/pooja_dadlani/status/955552366945816576?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 22, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

The Australian actress received an award for her work with refugees while the legendary British singer was felicitated with an award for his campaign on HIV/AIDS.

This year&#39;s Davos meet brings over 3,000 delegates from business, politics and civil society.

The forum will see a host of events and sessions discussing how to &quot;make the world a better place&quot;.

Other issues of significance at this year&#39;s event include gender equality, sexual harassment.&nbsp;

(With inputs from AFP)&nbsp;

The 'Raees' actor also received an award for his for his charitable work for acid attack victims.

Bollywood superstar Shah Rukh Khan attended a celebrity event before the official start of the World Economic Forum's annual event at Davos on Tuesday. The 52-year-old actor spoke against discrimination against women and sexism. "From them, I have learned how courage can catalyse victimhood into heroism," he said, referring to the acid victims. "We, the powerful, need to get out of the way, to pick the barriers apart, the ones that give us names and races and colours and hierarchies," he said. "That is what I have learned from my beautifully scarred women," he added. Extremely charged that I've had this amazing opportunity, this award, being recognized like this for minuscule work that I did, I'd like to do it with even more fervor. What is even more pleasant is that India is here in full power: Shah Rukh Khan in Davos #WorldEconomicForum2018 pic.twitter.com/aWQI99YAE3 — ANI (@ANI) January 22, 2018 × The Raees actor also received an award for his charitable work for acid attack victims. Other international celebrities in attendance included actress Cate Blanchett and singer Sir Elton John. @TwitterMoments World Renowned Star Shah Rukh Khan ( @iamsrk ) & Hollywood Actress Cate Blanchett Clicked Together at #WorldEconomicForum2018 DAVOS CrystalAwards .. Recognised by WEF for Humanatarian Cause globally ????????#WEF18 #WorldEconomicForum #Davos2018 #CrystalAwards pic.twitter.com/IktnBm2lfH — World Economic Forum (@DavosWef) January 22, 2018 × You make India proud always ❤️ @iamsrk gets honored at the World Economic Forum for his humanitarian work.. pic.twitter.com/wc4zFoUT9z — Pooja Dadlani (@pooja_dadlani) January 22, 2018 × The Australian actress received an award for her work with refugees while the legendary British singer was felicitated with an award for his campaign on HIV/AIDS. This year's Davos meet brings over 3,000 delegates from business, politics and civil society. The forum will see a host of events and sessions discussing how to "make the world a better place". Other issues of significance at this year's event include gender equality, sexual harassment. (With inputs from AFP)

We the powerful need to get out of the way to pick barriers apart: Shah Rukh Khan at Davos

Three members of &#39;Stop the V ritual&#39; group formed on Whatsapp by youngsters of Pune has allegedly been thrashed by the Kanjarbhat community in Pimpri, Pune.

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3 members of &#39;Stop the V ritual&#39;, a WhatsApp group created to raise awareness against practice of determining virginity of a bride on wedding night, allegedly thrashed by members of their community (Kanjarbhat) in Pimpri last night; FIR registered against 40 ppl, 2 arrested <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Pune?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Pune</a> <a href="https://t.co/bVlR4hA28g">pic.twitter.com/bVlR4hA28g</a>
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The FIR has been filed against 40 people of which two have been arrested.

A Whatsapp group called &quot;Stop the V ritual&quot; was formed to raise awareness against the ill-practice of determining virginity of a bride on the wedding night.

A formal complaint was also filed with the police against the custom, claiming it to be illegal and unconstitutional.

According to the ritual, the panchayat of Kanjarbhat community lays a white-bed sheets on the bride&#39;s first night, if the next morning sheet has been stained with red colour then the bride passes the test otherwise she gets accused of having physical relations prior to her marriage.

However, the people of the community calls&nbsp;this non-consensual ritual their tradition and&nbsp;says that it should be done otherwise our girls would be spoilt.

The FIR has been filed against 40 people of which two have been arrested

Three members of 'Stop the V ritual' group formed on Whatsapp by youngsters of Pune has allegedly been thrashed by the Kanjarbhat community in Pimpri, Pune. 3 members of 'Stop the V ritual', a WhatsApp group created to raise awareness against practice of determining virginity of a bride on wedding night, allegedly thrashed by members of their community (Kanjarbhat) in Pimpri last night; FIR registered against 40 ppl, 2 arrested #Pune pic.twitter.com/bVlR4hA28g — ANI (@ANI) January 22, 2018 × The FIR has been filed against 40 people of which two have been arrested. A Whatsapp group called "Stop the V ritual" was formed to raise awareness against the ill-practice of determining virginity of a bride on the wedding night. A formal complaint was also filed with the police against the custom, claiming it to be illegal and unconstitutional. According to the ritual, the panchayat of Kanjarbhat community lays a white-bed sheets on the bride's first night, if the next morning sheet has been stained with red colour then the bride passes the test otherwise she gets accused of having physical relations prior to her marriage. However, the people of the community calls this non-consensual ritual their tradition and says that it should be done otherwise our girls would be spoilt.

3 members of anti-virginity group thrashed in Pune

There seems to be no respite for Sanjay Leela Bhansali&#39;s Padmaavat. Even though the film has managed to release in most parts of the country on January 25th, the film is being called out for its regressive content. Many have felt Bhansali, despite giving a disclaimer in the beginning, glorifies the archaic practice of Jauhar. Critics, thinkers and writers have also condemned the director for glamourizing the climax making the Jauhar scene look larger than life.&nbsp;

Actress Swara Bhaskar, who is known to speak her mind on pertinent&nbsp;issues, is the latest to call out Bhansali&#39;s regressive script. In an open letter for a&nbsp;news website, Bhaskar condemned Bhansali for&nbsp;glorifying&nbsp;Jauhar&nbsp;in his film.

Beginning by&nbsp;congratulating Sanjay Leela Bhansali for the film, Swara Bhaskar wrote that how she has batted for him and his film and spoken on the importance of artistic freedom. Bhaskar wrote that she had worked with Bhansali in a small role in&nbsp;Guzaarish, and how she had observed the director&#39;s precision over minutest details.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/opinion-how-sanjay-leela-bhansali-plays-to-the-gallery-with-padmaavat-30890">Also read: How Sanjay Leela Bhansali plays to the gallery with Padmaavat</a>

Attaching&nbsp;a video of her speaking in favour of Padmaavat, Swara reminded&nbsp;Bhansali how she always took a stand for him.

But the actress said that after watching Padmaavat,&nbsp;she felt she was reduced to a vagina. Swara wrote, &quot;I felt reduced to a vagina&ndash;only. I felt like all the &lsquo;minor&rsquo; achievements that women and women&rsquo;s movements have made over the years&ndash; like the right to vote, the right to own property, the right to education, equal pay for equal work, maternity leave, the Vishakha judgement, the right to adopt children&hellip;&hellip; all of it was pointless; because we were back to basics.&quot;

Swara said that a woman had the right to live despite being raped, despite being widowed. &quot;Surely Sir, you agree that&nbsp;Sati, and&nbsp;Jauhar&nbsp;are not practices to be glorified. Surely, you agree that notwithstanding whatever archaic idea of honour, sacrifice, purity propels women and men to participate in and condone such practices; that basically&nbsp;Sati&nbsp;and&nbsp;Jauhar,&nbsp;like the practice of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and Honour Killings, are steeped in deeply patriarchal, misogynist and problematic ideas,&quot; the actress wrote.

She further wrote that she understands that the movie is a period film and set in the 13th century where it was normal of a woman to commit Sati or Jauhar than being touched by another man who is not her husband, but it did not mean that it had to be projected in the way Bhansali did in his film. &quot;I understand that&nbsp;Jauhar&nbsp;and&nbsp;Sati&nbsp;are a part of our social history. These happened. I understand that they are sensational, shocking dramatic occurrences that lend themselves to splendid, stark and stunning visual representation; especially in the hands of a consummate maker like yourself &mdash; but then so were the lynchings of blacks by murderous white mobs in the 19th&nbsp;century in the US &ndash; sensational, shocking dramatic social occurrences. Does that mean one should make a film about it with no perspective on racism? Or, without a comment on racial hatred? Worse, should one make a film glorifying lynchings as a sign of some warped notion of hot-bloodedness, purity, bravery &ndash; I don&rsquo;t know, I have no idea how possibly one could glorify such a heinous hate crime,&quot; Swara wrote.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/padmaavat-review-ranveer-singh-shines-in-bhansalis-visually-grand-historical-saga-30568">Read Padmaava review here</a>

Bhaskar said that despite the story being based in the 13th century, the film had 21st-century context and that glorifying a mass suicide in order to protect one&#39;s honour was not the most accurate way of telling the story. &quot;The&nbsp;context&nbsp;of your film is India in the 21st&nbsp;century; where five years ago, a girl was gang-raped brutally in the country&rsquo;s capital inside a moving bus. She didn&rsquo;t commit suicide because her honour had been desecrated, Sir. She fought her six rapists.&nbsp;

Bhaskar also wrote that how a disclaimer at the beginning of the movie made no sense when the entire film was about Rajput and the community&#39;s attempt at&nbsp;saving honour that was more important than the right to live. &quot;In the climax, breathtakingly shot of course &ndash; hundreds of women bedecked in red like Goddess Durga as bride rushed into the&nbsp;Jauhar&nbsp;fire while a raving Muslim psychopathic villain loomed over them and a pulsating musical track &ndash; that had the power of an anthem; seduced the audience into being awestruck and admiring of this act. Sir, if this is not glorification and support of&nbsp;Sati&nbsp;andJauhar, I really do not know what is,&quot;the letter further added.&nbsp;

Swara Bhaskar called out Sanjay Leela Bhansali for the glorification of Sati and Jauhar in his film

There seems to be no respite for Sanjay Leela Bhansali's Padmaavat. Even though the film has managed to release in most parts of the country on January 25th, the film is being called out for its regressive content. Many have felt Bhansali, despite giving a disclaimer in the beginning, glorifies the archaic practice of Jauhar. Critics, thinkers and writers have also condemned the director for glamourizing the climax making the Jauhar scene look larger than life. Actress Swara Bhaskar, who is known to speak her mind on pertinent issues, is the latest to call out Bhansali's regressive script. In an open letter for a news website, Bhaskar condemned Bhansali for glorifying Jauhar in his film. Beginning by congratulating Sanjay Leela Bhansali for the film, Swara Bhaskar wrote that how she has batted for him and his film and spoken on the importance of artistic freedom. Bhaskar wrote that she had worked with Bhansali in a small role in Guzaarish, and how she had observed the director's precision over minutest details. Also read: How Sanjay Leela Bhansali plays to the gallery with Padmaavat Attaching a video of her speaking in favour of Padmaavat, Swara reminded Bhansali how she always took a stand for him. But the actress said that after watching Padmaavat, she felt she was reduced to a vagina. Swara wrote, "I felt reduced to a vagina–only. I felt like all the ‘minor’ achievements that women and women’s movements have made over the years– like the right to vote, the right to own property, the right to education, equal pay for equal work, maternity leave, the Vishakha judgement, the right to adopt children…… all of it was pointless; because we were back to basics." Swara said that a woman had the right to live despite being raped, despite being widowed. "Surely Sir, you agree that Sati, and Jauhar are not practices to be glorified. Surely, you agree that notwithstanding whatever archaic idea of honour, sacrifice, purity propels women and men to participate in and condone such practices; that basically Sati and Jauhar, like the practice of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and Honour Killings, are steeped in deeply patriarchal, misogynist and problematic ideas," the actress wrote. She further wrote that she understands that the movie is a period film and set in the 13th century where it was normal of a woman to commit Sati or Jauhar than being touched by another man who is not her husband, but it did not mean that it had to be projected in the way Bhansali did in his film. "I understand that Jauhar and Sati are a part of our social history. These happened. I understand that they are sensational, shocking dramatic occurrences that lend themselves to splendid, stark and stunning visual representation; especially in the hands of a consummate maker like yourself — but then so were the lynchings of blacks by murderous white mobs in the 19th century in the US – sensational, shocking dramatic social occurrences. Does that mean one should make a film about it with no perspective on racism? Or, without a comment on racial hatred? Worse, should one make a film glorifying lynchings as a sign of some warped notion of hot-bloodedness, purity, bravery – I don’t know, I have no idea how possibly one could glorify such a heinous hate crime," Swara wrote. Read Padmaava review here Bhaskar said that despite the story being based in the 13th century, the film had 21st-century context and that glorifying a mass suicide in order to protect one's honour was not the most accurate way of telling the story. "The context of your film is India in the 21st century; where five years ago, a girl was gang-raped brutally in the country’s capital inside a moving bus. She didn’t commit suicide because her honour had been desecrated, Sir. She fought her six rapists. Bhaskar also wrote that how a disclaimer at the beginning of the movie made no sense when the entire film was about Rajput and the community's attempt at saving honour that was more important than the right to live. "In the climax, breathtakingly shot of course – hundreds of women bedecked in red like Goddess Durga as bride rushed into the Jauhar fire while a raving Muslim psychopathic villain loomed over them and a pulsating musical track – that had the power of an anthem; seduced the audience into being awestruck and admiring of this act. Sir, if this is not glorification and support of Sati andJauhar, I really do not know what is,"the letter further added.

Swara Bhaskar felt 'reduced to vagina' after watching 'Padmaavat'

It appears that 2018 is already shaping up to be the year of women working together across race and class divides to fight back against sexism and sexual harassment. On the very first day of January, new movement Time&rsquo;s Up was announced via an open letter from women working in the entertainment industry. While it could have just been a statement against the alleged sexual assault and harassment of those working in Hollywood, this was a message of solidarity to all &ldquo;sisters&rdquo;.

Some very powerful women in the entertainment industry created Time&rsquo;s Up, but this is not about personal gain &ndash; they are using their status to help the disempowered. Time&rsquo;s Up is all about high profile women using their privilege to highlight and counter sexual discrimination against all women in employment, whatever industry they are in.

The movement is the work of more than 300 female professionals from the fields of television, film and theatre, including producers, actresses, writers and directors. Just a selection of the starry names leading and contributing to the initiative are Emma Stone, Natalie Portman, Cate Blanchett, Ashley Judd, America Ferrera, Rashida Jones, Selena Gomez, Reese Witherspoon, Kerry Washington, Eva Longoria and Ellen Page, as well as Donna Langley, the chairwoman of Universal Pictures, and top lawyers Nina L. Shaw and Tina Tchen. As the days have gone on, more notable women have been publicly adding their names to the campaign and contributing to the fund, too, using the Twitter hashtag #TIMESUP.

Hollywood&rsquo;s feminists have previously been accused of representing an elitist group, who are far removed from the struggles of ordinary, less glamorous women. The Time&rsquo;s Up movement is a serious attempt to counter these accusations through showing solidarity with working women of all backgrounds and ethnicities.

Their aim&nbsp;is to raise $15m for a legal defense fund that can benefit low-income victims of sexual misconduct. They also want to campaign for new legislation to protect women from harassment, and work towards gender parity at studios and talent agencies. A request has also been issued for celebrities to raise awareness by wearing black while walking the red carpet at the Golden Globe awards on January 7.

All women

The campaign&rsquo;s cross class solidarity was prompted by a letter of support from the predominantly Latina Alianza Nacional de Campesinas. This national female farm workers organisation wrote to the women of Hollywood who had spoken out against sexual abuse following allegations against Harvey Weinstein and others.

In a moving section of their letter, the farm workers wrote:

We do not work under bright stage lights or on the big screen. We work in the shadows of society in <a href="http://time.com/3599468/food-chains-farm-eva-longoria-eric-schlosser/">isolated fields and packinghouses</a> that are out of sight and out of mind for most people in this country. Your job feeds souls, fills hearts and spreads joy. Our job nourishes the nation with the fruits, vegetables and other crops that we plant, pick and pack.

Even though we work in very different environments, we share a common experience of being preyed upon by individuals who have the power to <a href="http://time.com/4995946/weinstein-workplace-culture/">hire, fire, blacklist</a> and otherwise threaten our economic, physical and emotional security.

While the farm workers might be expected to level accusations of elitism against their wealthy sisters, they stood with them. Despite the enormous gulf in social and economic status, they offered their support &ndash; &ldquo;Please know that you&rsquo;re not alone. We believe and stand with you.&rdquo;

This act of solidarity clearly touched the entertainment professionals who have, through the Time&rsquo;s Up movement, taken the first concrete steps to support poor working women. The Time&rsquo;s Up letter mirrors the language used by Alianza, while intiatives like the legal defence fund are a clear demonstration that this is more than just a PR exercise:

<blockquote>
To the members of Alianza and farmworker women across the country, we see you, we thank you, and we acknowledge the heavy weight of our common experience of being preyed upon, harassed, and exploited by those who abuse their power and threaten our physical and economic security.
</blockquote>

<img alt="The Conversation" height="1" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/89661/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" width="1" />This collective action taken by so many women in the film, television and theatre industries is unprecedented. Using the celebrity status created by the very industry in which they have suffered might just be the best way to seek to protect all women from abuse, harassment and sexism.

&nbsp;

This article was originally published on <a href="http://theconversation.com" rel="nofollow" target="blank">The Conversation</a>. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-its-so-important-that-hollywoods-powerful-women-are-standing-up-for-all-female-workers-89661" rel="nofollow" target="blank">original article</a>.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).

&nbsp;

Some very powerful women in the entertainment industry created Time’s Up, but this is not about personal gain – they are using their status to help the disempowered.

It appears that 2018 is already shaping up to be the year of women working together across race and class divides to fight back against sexism and sexual harassment. On the very first day of January, new movement Time’s Up was announced via an open letter from women working in the entertainment industry. While it could have just been a statement against the alleged sexual assault and harassment of those working in Hollywood, this was a message of solidarity to all “sisters”. Some very powerful women in the entertainment industry created Time’s Up, but this is not about personal gain – they are using their status to help the disempowered. Time’s Up is all about high profile women using their privilege to highlight and counter sexual discrimination against all women in employment, whatever industry they are in. The movement is the work of more than 300 female professionals from the fields of television, film and theatre, including producers, actresses, writers and directors. Just a selection of the starry names leading and contributing to the initiative are Emma Stone, Natalie Portman, Cate Blanchett, Ashley Judd, America Ferrera, Rashida Jones, Selena Gomez, Reese Witherspoon, Kerry Washington, Eva Longoria and Ellen Page, as well as Donna Langley, the chairwoman of Universal Pictures, and top lawyers Nina L. Shaw and Tina Tchen. As the days have gone on, more notable women have been publicly adding their names to the campaign and contributing to the fund, too, using the Twitter hashtag #TIMESUP. Hollywood’s feminists have previously been accused of representing an elitist group, who are far removed from the struggles of ordinary, less glamorous women. The Time’s Up movement is a serious attempt to counter these accusations through showing solidarity with working women of all backgrounds and ethnicities. Their aim is to raise $15m for a legal defense fund that can benefit low-income victims of sexual misconduct. They also want to campaign for new legislation to protect women from harassment, and work towards gender parity at studios and talent agencies. A request has also been issued for celebrities to raise awareness by wearing black while walking the red carpet at the Golden Globe awards on January 7. All women The campaign’s cross class solidarity was prompted by a letter of support from the predominantly Latina Alianza Nacional de Campesinas. This national female farm workers organisation wrote to the women of Hollywood who had spoken out against sexual abuse following allegations against Harvey Weinstein and others. In a moving section of their letter, the farm workers wrote: We do not work under bright stage lights or on the big screen. We work in the shadows of society in isolated fields and packinghouses that are out of sight and out of mind for most people in this country. Your job feeds souls, fills hearts and spreads joy. Our job nourishes the nation with the fruits, vegetables and other crops that we plant, pick and pack. Even though we work in very different environments, we share a common experience of being preyed upon by individuals who have the power to hire, fire, blacklist and otherwise threaten our economic, physical and emotional security. While the farm workers might be expected to level accusations of elitism against their wealthy sisters, they stood with them. Despite the enormous gulf in social and economic status, they offered their support – “Please know that you’re not alone. We believe and stand with you.” This act of solidarity clearly touched the entertainment professionals who have, through the Time’s Up movement, taken the first concrete steps to support poor working women. The Time’s Up letter mirrors the language used by Alianza, while intiatives like the legal defence fund are a clear demonstration that this is more than just a PR exercise: To the members of Alianza and farmworker women across the country, we see you, we thank you, and we acknowledge the heavy weight of our common experience of being preyed upon, harassed, and exploited by those who abuse their power and threaten our physical and economic security. This collective action taken by so many women in the film, television and theatre industries is unprecedented. Using the celebrity status created by the very industry in which they have suffered might just be the best way to seek to protect all women from abuse, harassment and sexism. This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article. (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL).

Opinion: At Golden Globes, Hollywood is standing up for all woman workers

Terming the policy of allowing Muslim women to perform Haj only in the company of a male guardian as &quot;injustice&quot;, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said his government has removed the restriction following which hundreds of women have applied to travel alone for the pilgrimage.

According to the Ministry of Minority Affairs, now Muslim women aged above 45 will be allowed to go for the pilgrimage without &#39;mahram&#39; in a group of at least four.

In his monthly radio address of &#39;Mann ki baat&#39;, the prime minister said removal of the restriction of having a male guardian or &#39;mahram&#39; may appear as a &quot;small thing&quot;, but such issues &quot;have a far reaching impact on our image as a society&quot;.

He said when he first heard of the restriction, he was surprised as to who wold have drafted such a rule.

&quot;Why this discrimination? And when I went into the depth of the matter I was surprised to find that even after 70 years of our independence, we were the ones who had imposed these restrictions. For decades, injustice was being rendered to Muslim women but there was no discussion on it,&quot; he said in his broadcast.

He pointed out that such a restriction is not prevalent in many Islamic countries.

&quot;I am happy to note that this time about 1300 Muslim women have applied to perform Haj without &#39;mahram&#39; and women from different parts of the country from Kerala to north India, have expressed their wish to go for the Haj pilgrimage,&quot; he said.

He said he has suggested to the Ministry of Minority Affairs that they should ensure that all women who have applied to travel alone be allowed to perform Haj.

&quot;Usually there is a lottery system for selection of Haj pilgrims but I would like that single women pilgrims should be excluded from this lottery system and they should be given a chance as a special category,&quot; he said.

He said it is his firm belief that the journey of India?s progress has been possible due to women-power and on the basis of their talent...It should be our constant endeavour that our women also get equal rights and equal opportunities...,&quot; he said.

While referring to Muslim women and their rights, the prime minister did not mention about the bill passed by Lok Sabha last week which bans the practice of instant triple talaq.

He, however, had referred to the issue of instant triple talaq or &#39;talaq-e-biddat&#39; while inaugurating the 85th Sivagiri Pilgrimage Celebrations at Sivagiri Mutt in Kerala via video conference this morning.

Referring to Christmas, Modi said Jesus Christ taught us about the spirit of service or &#39;sewa bhaav&#39;.

&quot;Be it any religion, caste or creed, tradition or colour in this world; the spirit of service is an invaluable hallmark of the highest human values,&quot; he said.

He also recalled the life of Guru Gobind Singh which was full of instances of courage and sacrifice.

On the 350th anniversary of the Sikh guru, he said Guru Gobind Singh preached the virtues of sublime human values and at the same time, practiced them in his own life in letter and spirit.

Following the removal of restriction, hundreds of women have applied to travel alone for the pilgrimage

Terming the policy of allowing Muslim women to perform Haj only in the company of a male guardian as "injustice", Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said his government has removed the restriction following which hundreds of women have applied to travel alone for the pilgrimage. According to the Ministry of Minority Affairs, now Muslim women aged above 45 will be allowed to go for the pilgrimage without 'mahram' in a group of at least four. In his monthly radio address of 'Mann ki baat', the prime minister said removal of the restriction of having a male guardian or 'mahram' may appear as a "small thing", but such issues "have a far reaching impact on our image as a society". He said when he first heard of the restriction, he was surprised as to who wold have drafted such a rule. "Why this discrimination? And when I went into the depth of the matter I was surprised to find that even after 70 years of our independence, we were the ones who had imposed these restrictions. For decades, injustice was being rendered to Muslim women but there was no discussion on it," he said in his broadcast. He pointed out that such a restriction is not prevalent in many Islamic countries. "I am happy to note that this time about 1300 Muslim women have applied to perform Haj without 'mahram' and women from different parts of the country from Kerala to north India, have expressed their wish to go for the Haj pilgrimage," he said. He said he has suggested to the Ministry of Minority Affairs that they should ensure that all women who have applied to travel alone be allowed to perform Haj. "Usually there is a lottery system for selection of Haj pilgrims but I would like that single women pilgrims should be excluded from this lottery system and they should be given a chance as a special category," he said. He said it is his firm belief that the journey of India?s progress has been possible due to women-power and on the basis of their talent...It should be our constant endeavour that our women also get equal rights and equal opportunities...," he said. While referring to Muslim women and their rights, the prime minister did not mention about the bill passed by Lok Sabha last week which bans the practice of instant triple talaq. He, however, had referred to the issue of instant triple talaq or 'talaq-e-biddat' while inaugurating the 85th Sivagiri Pilgrimage Celebrations at Sivagiri Mutt in Kerala via video conference this morning. Referring to Christmas, Modi said Jesus Christ taught us about the spirit of service or 'sewa bhaav'. "Be it any religion, caste or creed, tradition or colour in this world; the spirit of service is an invaluable hallmark of the highest human values," he said. He also recalled the life of Guru Gobind Singh which was full of instances of courage and sacrifice. On the 350th anniversary of the Sikh guru, he said Guru Gobind Singh preached the virtues of sublime human values and at the same time, practiced them in his own life in letter and spirit.

Muslim women can travel for Haj without male guardian: Prime Minister Modi

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/everyone-knew-about-weinstein-actress-21317" target="_blank">Harvey Weinstein&#39;s fall should be the end of &quot;dinosaur&quot; men preying on women</a>, Hollywood star Catherine Zeta-Jones said Tuesday as she premiered a film about a woman who had a brutally efficient way of dealing with chauvinism.

The Oscar-winning actress said she hoped <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/new-york-police-probing-2004-weinstein-assault-case-22367" target="_blank">Weinstein&#39;s disgrace would be the &quot;tipping point or at last a turning point&quot;</a> in the treatment of women not just in Hollywood but in &quot;any industry, corporation, school or college.&quot;

&quot;Let&#39;s hope that big old dinosaur of men thinking they can get away with that sort of behavior is extinct as of now,&quot; she told reporters.

The British-born star, who plays the notorious Colombian drug baron Griselda Blanco in a new TV film, &quot;Cocaine Godmother&quot;, joked that her character had a rather direct way of dealing with male sexism: &quot;Shoot them in the head.&quot;

Zeta-Jones said that while that would not be her approach, as a woman &quot;you have to give her that, as we still fight for equality in the workplace.&quot;&nbsp;

&quot;Griselda had no redeeming traits but the one thing she did have was the ability to stand up against men in a male world,&quot; she said as the film screened at MIPCOM, the top TV industry gathering, in Cannes on the French Riviera.

Sexism is not &quot;just a problem in the film, theatrical or TV industry,&quot; Zeta-Jones added. &quot;It is rife everywhere. As women, we get knocked down as being ambitious. Men don&#39;t get that. We should be proud of being ambitious, we shouldn&#39;t hide it.&quot;&nbsp;

She said she hoped lessons were being learned from the Weinstein affair, &quot;otherwise we truly are stuck in a world that&#39;s very sad and very destructive.&quot;&nbsp;

Despite the dangers from predators, she advised young actors &quot;not to lose your vulnerability -- it is essential to your craft. Vulnerability is a beautiful character trait and we should have it and be allowed to have it. But it&#39;s important that we know it&#39;s protected.&quot;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/ben-affleck-apologises-for-groping-tv-host-21326" target="_blank">Also Read:&nbsp;Ben Affleck </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/ben-affleck-apologises-for-groping-tv-host-21326" target="_blank">apologises</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/ben-affleck-apologises-for-groping-tv-host-21326" target="_blank"> for groping TV host</a>

- Typecast for her beauty -

Zeta-Jones, now 48, who left Britain for Hollywood because she felt she was being typecast for her beauty, said she glories in taking on difficult, ambiguous women like Blanco who was &quot;the most feared, dreaded woman in the drugs business&quot; in the 1970s and 1980s before the rise of Pablo Escobar.

&quot;It is very flattering to have your characters always as the &#39;beautiful sexy woman who walks into the room...&#39; But when I hear that I always go, &#39;Ah shoot! That&#39;s way too much time in hair and make-up.&#39; If I could just let all that go and find who this woman was...&quot;

Zeta-Jones said she gained weight for the role and put her back out from the weeks spent mimicking the way Blanco walked.

The actress, who played the wife of a drug lord in the critically-acclaimed film &quot;Traffic&quot; while she was pregnant with her now 17-year-old son, said playing this &quot;dreadful yet fascinating&quot; woman had unleashed &quot;a very sick dark sense of humor I have been hiding for years.&quot;

Even though Blanco was a shopaholic who filled her vast homes with designer clothes and accessories, her life was &quot;not at all glamorous&quot;.

&quot;She never left the house other than to kill someone,&quot; said Zeta-Jones.

Playing the so-called Black Widow as she aged meant she didn&#39;t have to worry about having &quot;baggy eyes&quot; if she didn&#39;t sleep well during filming.&nbsp;

&quot;Normally I sleep propped up on pillows&quot; during shoots so that doesn&#39;t happen, she said.

Zeta-Jones said she hoped lessons were being learned from the Weinstein affair, 'otherwise, we truly are stuck in a world that's very sad and very destructive'

Harvey Weinstein's fall should be the end of "dinosaur" men preying on women, Hollywood star Catherine Zeta-Jones said Tuesday as she premiered a film about a woman who had a brutally efficient way of dealing with chauvinism. The Oscar-winning actress said she hoped Weinstein's disgrace would be the "tipping point or at last a turning point" in the treatment of women not just in Hollywood but in "any industry, corporation, school or college." "Let's hope that big old dinosaur of men thinking they can get away with that sort of behavior is extinct as of now," she told reporters. The British-born star, who plays the notorious Colombian drug baron Griselda Blanco in a new TV film, "Cocaine Godmother", joked that her character had a rather direct way of dealing with male sexism: "Shoot them in the head." Zeta-Jones said that while that would not be her approach, as a woman "you have to give her that, as we still fight for equality in the workplace." "Griselda had no redeeming traits but the one thing she did have was the ability to stand up against men in a male world," she said as the film screened at MIPCOM, the top TV industry gathering, in Cannes on the French Riviera. Sexism is not "just a problem in the film, theatrical or TV industry," Zeta-Jones added. "It is rife everywhere. As women, we get knocked down as being ambitious. Men don't get that. We should be proud of being ambitious, we shouldn't hide it." She said she hoped lessons were being learned from the Weinstein affair, "otherwise we truly are stuck in a world that's very sad and very destructive." Despite the dangers from predators, she advised young actors "not to lose your vulnerability -- it is essential to your craft. Vulnerability is a beautiful character trait and we should have it and be allowed to have it. But it's important that we know it's protected." Also Read: Ben Affleck apologises for groping TV host - Typecast for her beauty - Zeta-Jones, now 48, who left Britain for Hollywood because she felt she was being typecast for her beauty, said she glories in taking on difficult, ambiguous women like Blanco who was "the most feared, dreaded woman in the drugs business" in the 1970s and 1980s before the rise of Pablo Escobar. "It is very flattering to have your characters always as the 'beautiful sexy woman who walks into the room...' But when I hear that I always go, 'Ah shoot! That's way too much time in hair and make-up.' If I could just let all that go and find who this woman was..." Zeta-Jones said she gained weight for the role and put her back out from the weeks spent mimicking the way Blanco walked. The actress, who played the wife of a drug lord in the critically-acclaimed film "Traffic" while she was pregnant with her now 17-year-old son, said playing this "dreadful yet fascinating" woman had unleashed "a very sick dark sense of humor I have been hiding for years." Even though Blanco was a shopaholic who filled her vast homes with designer clothes and accessories, her life was "not at all glamorous". "She never left the house other than to kill someone," said Zeta-Jones. Playing the so-called Black Widow as she aged meant she didn't have to worry about having "baggy eyes" if she didn't sleep well during filming. "Normally I sleep propped up on pillows" during shoots so that doesn't happen, she said.

Weinstein scandal signals end for dinosaur men: Zeta-Jones

Indian actress Radhika Apte on Tuesday slammed a reporter when she was reportedly asked about the leaked nude scenes in the last release, Parched.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&quot;Sorry, your question is very ridiculous. Controversies are made by the people like you. You saw the clip, you shared with other people, so you made the controversy,&quot; &nbsp;Indian news agency, IANS, quoted her as saying.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Parched is a Bollywood flick about four women from a remote area of western Indian state of Rajasthan that still suffers from age-old traditions.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The filmmaker and the movie&#39;s actors, including Apte, have often reiterated that the movie is more than just about the nude scenes between her and co-actor Adil Hussain.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&quot;I am an artist... if I am required to do a certain job then I will do it. If you get out of your cocoon and look at the world cinema and what people are doing abroad and that is too successfully then you would have not probably asked this question,&quot; she told the media.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&quot;I am not ashamed of anything. People who are embarrassed about their own body are curious about other&#39;s body. So if you want to see a naked body tomorrow, see yourself in the mirror rather than my clip. Then only we can talk about this.&quot;

&nbsp;

An Indian daily,&nbsp;Deccan Chronicle, further reported that when&nbsp;the&nbsp;journalist apologised about &lsquo;hurting&rsquo; her, Radhika said, &ldquo;I feel hurt? You need to get over yourself, you&rsquo;ll get over it.&rdquo;

&nbsp;

(WION)&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

'If you want to see a naked body tomorrow, see yourself in the mirror rather than my clip,' Apte told the reporter

Indian actress Radhika Apte on Tuesday slammed a reporter when she was reportedly asked about the leaked nude scenes in the last release, Parched. "Sorry, your question is very ridiculous. Controversies are made by the people like you. You saw the clip, you shared with other people, so you made the controversy," Indian news agency, IANS, quoted her as saying. Parched is a Bollywood flick about four women from a remote area of western Indian state of Rajasthan that still suffers from age-old traditions. The filmmaker and the movie's actors, including Apte, have often reiterated that the movie is more than just about the nude scenes between her and co-actor Adil Hussain. "I am an artist... if I am required to do a certain job then I will do it. If you get out of your cocoon and look at the world cinema and what people are doing abroad and that is too successfully then you would have not probably asked this question," she told the media. "I am not ashamed of anything. People who are embarrassed about their own body are curious about other's body. So if you want to see a naked body tomorrow, see yourself in the mirror rather than my clip. Then only we can talk about this." An Indian daily, Deccan Chronicle, further reported that when the journalist apologised about ‘hurting’ her, Radhika said, “I feel hurt? You need to get over yourself, you’ll get over it.” (WION)

Indian actress Radhika Apte slams journalist for question on 'leaked' nude scenes in Parched

Bollywood superstar Salman Khan has sparked controversy in India by saying his heavy training schedule for an upcoming film left him feeling &quot;like a raped woman&quot;. 
 
Khan made the comments in an interview to promote his latest Bollywood movie Sultan, which tells the story of an ageing wrestler trying to make a comeback. 
 
&quot;When I used to walk out of the ring, after the shoot, I used to feel like a raped woman. I couldn`t walk straight,&quot; 50-year-old Khan said in an interview with local news site Spotboye.com published on Monday.&nbsp; 
 
In the same interview, Khan said he had been able to quit every &quot;vice&quot; except women, saying that he had given up cigarettes, coffee and alcohol, but not female company.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;There`s nothing left to quit anymore,&quot; he told the site. 
 
Social media users slammed the actor&#39;s comments. 
 
&quot;If you are a Salman Khan fan, it&#39;s good, but if you support his pathetic statement, you are nothing but a disgusting creature,&quot; wrote Twitter user @gautamverma23.&nbsp; 
 
Shaina NC, a spokeswoman for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in Maharashtra state, tweeted: &quot;Rape is an exercise of power to destruct a woman&#39;s self esteem, (from what) I (know) of @BeingSalmanKhan he respects #women so he must apologise&quot;.&nbsp; 
 
Khan&#39;s personal life has also been dogged by controversy. 
 
Last year he was cleared of killing a homeless man in a hit-and-run crash, and he is battling allegations he used unlicensed arms to shoot antelopes in western India.&nbsp; 
 
Bollywood films are notorious for their sexism and Khan in particular is accused of having weaker female parts in his movies. 
 
While several Indian filmmakers are breaking with stereotypes to produce women-oriented films, these are still few and far between. 
 
More recently, in April, India&#39;s sports stars reacted with dismay after Khan was appointed goodwill ambassador for the Olympic team in the Rio Games later this year. 
 
His appointment, by the Indian Olympic Association, triggered a row over whether an actor was best suited to promote athletes. 
 
Khan is one of Bollywood&#39;s biggest box-office draws, starring in more than 100 films and television shows since his first hit &quot;Maine Pyar Kiya&quot; (I Fell in Love) in the 1980s. 
 
(Reuters)

Khan made the comments in an interview to promote his latest Bollywood movie 'Sultan'

Bollywood superstar Salman Khan has sparked controversy in India by saying his heavy training schedule for an upcoming film left him feeling "like a raped woman". Khan made the comments in an interview to promote his latest Bollywood movie Sultan, which tells the story of an ageing wrestler trying to make a comeback. "When I used to walk out of the ring, after the shoot, I used to feel like a raped woman. I couldn`t walk straight," 50-year-old Khan said in an interview with local news site Spotboye.com published on Monday. In the same interview, Khan said he had been able to quit every "vice" except women, saying that he had given up cigarettes, coffee and alcohol, but not female company. "There`s nothing left to quit anymore," he told the site. Social media users slammed the actor's comments. "If you are a Salman Khan fan, it's good, but if you support his pathetic statement, you are nothing but a disgusting creature," wrote Twitter user @gautamverma23. Shaina NC, a spokeswoman for the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party in Maharashtra state, tweeted: "Rape is an exercise of power to destruct a woman's self esteem, (from what) I (know) of @BeingSalmanKhan he respects #women so he must apologise". Khan's personal life has also been dogged by controversy. Last year he was cleared of killing a homeless man in a hit-and-run crash, and he is battling allegations he used unlicensed arms to shoot antelopes in western India. Bollywood films are notorious for their sexism and Khan in particular is accused of having weaker female parts in his movies. While several Indian filmmakers are breaking with stereotypes to produce women-oriented films, these are still few and far between. More recently, in April, India's sports stars reacted with dismay after Khan was appointed goodwill ambassador for the Olympic team in the Rio Games later this year. His appointment, by the Indian Olympic Association, triggered a row over whether an actor was best suited to promote athletes. Khan is one of Bollywood's biggest box-office draws, starring in more than 100 films and television shows since his first hit "Maine Pyar Kiya" (I Fell in Love) in the 1980s. (Reuters)

Indian Actor Salman Khan under fire for 'raped woman' comment

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