Over the weekend, Swara Bhaskar&#39;s<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/swara-bhaskar-feels-like-reduced-to-vagina-after-watching-padmaavat-31009"> open letter to Sanjay Leela Bhansali over the depiction </a>of Jauhar scene in his latest film Padmaavat create an uproar on the Internet. While a lot of people agreed with Swara that Bhansali had glorified a regressive custom like Sati in his film, many also criticised the actress and some even trolled her.&nbsp; 
 
The film&#39;s leading man, Shahid Kapoor was asked to respond to Swara Bhaskar&#39;s letter at an event recently. The actor said, &quot; &quot;I haven&#39;t read it yet. We have been busy with other things, but I think this isn&#39;t the right time. &#39;Padmaavat&#39; is representing the film industry and it&#39;s freedom of expression.

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/entertainment-padmaavat-earns-rs-114-crores-within-the-first-four-days-of-its-release-31092">Also read: Padmaavat&#39;s enters Rs 100 crore club within four days of its release</a> 
 
&quot;It has been a tough battle for us to be able to bring forth the film to the audience. It feels great to receive support from the entire industry but it feels odd that someone said something on a personal level. That&#39;s OK though as everyone has the right to say what they want but I haven&#39;t read it yet,&quot; a news agency quoted the actor as saying.&nbsp;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/entertainment-padmaavat-now-barred-from-release-in-malaysia-31119">Read: Now, Malaysia bans Padmaavat</a>

In the letter, Swara had written that how after watching Padmaavat felt feeling like a vagina. The actress accused Bhansali of glorifying Jauhar and stated that a woman has the right to live despite being raped or being widowed.&nbsp;

Padmaavat also features Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh, Adito Rao Hydari and Jim Sarbh.&nbsp;

"Feels odd that someone said something on a personal level," Shahid said reacting to the letter.

Over the weekend, Swara Bhaskar's open letter to Sanjay Leela Bhansali over the depiction of Jauhar scene in his latest film Padmaavat create an uproar on the Internet. While a lot of people agreed with Swara that Bhansali had glorified a regressive custom like Sati in his film, many also criticised the actress and some even trolled her. The film's leading man, Shahid Kapoor was asked to respond to Swara Bhaskar's letter at an event recently. The actor said, " "I haven't read it yet. We have been busy with other things, but I think this isn't the right time. 'Padmaavat' is representing the film industry and it's freedom of expression. Also read: Padmaavat's enters Rs 100 crore club within four days of its release "It has been a tough battle for us to be able to bring forth the film to the audience. It feels great to receive support from the entire industry but it feels odd that someone said something on a personal level. That's OK though as everyone has the right to say what they want but I haven't read it yet," a news agency quoted the actor as saying. Read: Now, Malaysia bans Padmaavat In the letter, Swara had written that how after watching Padmaavat felt feeling like a vagina. The actress accused Bhansali of glorifying Jauhar and stated that a woman has the right to live despite being raped or being widowed. Padmaavat also features Deepika Padukone, Ranveer Singh, Adito Rao Hydari and Jim Sarbh.

Shahid Kapoor reacts to Swara Bhaskar's open letter to Sanjay Leela Bhansali

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'

There is no denying that the year 2017 will down in history as the year where newer stories and smaller films took precedence over big-budget formula films. Filmmakers became brave in storytelling in 2017. From illicit romances to erectile dysfunction to falling in love at 40 to a middle-class housewife finding her voice in the most unexpected manner- filmmakers tried to tell newer stories this year. And while a lot of these films got appreciated by critics and masses alike- here is a list of films that did not get its due credit. Presenting the most underrated films of 2017.&nbsp; 
 
Haraamkhor:

<iframe allow="encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" gesture="media" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bt7r3RaLbrY" width="560"></iframe>

A story of a student falling in love with her teacher would make a lot of people uncomfortable. But filmmaker Shlok Sharma dealt with the story in the most subtle, nuanced manner. Coupled with strong performances by its lead- Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Shweta Triptha-Haraamkhor was a different take on love. Sharma could have gone overboard showing a romance that most deem as scandalous but he broached the topic in a sensitive, mature manner making the film a compelling watch. 
 
Anaarkali Of&nbsp;Aarah

<iframe allow="encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" gesture="media" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jHFT_PdLh20" width="560"></iframe>

If Anaarkali of Aarah had released a year back, Aniruddha Roy Choudhary&#39;s Pink would have appeared flawed. Journalist turned filmmaker Avinash Das&#39; film spoke about consent, but in a society where the term is almost alien. Centered around Anaarkali whose profession is to sing songs full of sexual innuendoes, the film highlighted the plight of many such women who may sing raunchy songs for a living but are not ready to give sexual favours to men. Anaarkali&#39;s battle may have been a lonely one, but it sure resonated with a lot of women across the country and drove home a very important point- that a &#39;No&#39; means a &#39;No&#39;. While the film was lauded by the critics, its the audience which overlooked the film. Perhaps because of its look or maybe because it did not have a big name in the star cast- but it was a film that will remain relevant in the times to come. &nbsp;

 
Meri Pyaari Bindu

<iframe allow="encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" gesture="media" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/fTax2lxxAvU" width="560"></iframe>

Ayushmann Khurrana had multiple releases this year- making him, along with Rajkummar Rao, the new poster boy of the middle-class. And while people loved him in Shubh Mangal Saavdhan and Bareilly Ki Barfi- his performance in Akshay&nbsp;Roy&#39;s Meri Pyaari Bindu almost went unnoticed. Which is unfortunate because of all the three films, Khurrana was absolutely brilliant as Bubla Roy, the wry, angsty novelist in this film. Paired opposite the vivacious Parineeti Chopra, the film took a fairly realistic approach towards modern romances and heartbreaks. With a beautiful soundtrack, Meri Pyaari Bindu was perhaps the most subtle love story of this year with endering performances by not just the lead pair but the entire supporting cast- who are mainly known faces of Bengali film industry.

 
Death In The Gunj

<iframe allow="encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" gesture="media" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/nMN8GS2JZ_A" width="560"></iframe>

Konkona Sen Sharma&#39;s film was in English and a bit of Bengali, which is perhaps the reason that the film had less commercial viability. But the actress-filmmaker should be given credit for making a film that will remain relevant for decades to come. At the onset, it looked like a mystery thriller about a death in McCluskiegunj where a family gathers for a vacation- but the story ultimately was so much more than that. The film dealt with how a society perceives masculinity and how we always succumb to stereotypes. It had a superlative cast - each performing their character with absolute ease. More importantly, the film made a lot of people sit up and take notice of a fine actor called Vikrant Massey- who as the central character Shutu - gave one of the best performances this year.&nbsp; 
 
Trapped

<iframe allow="encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" gesture="media" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/RJaj39jI-qk" width="560"></iframe>

2017 can easily be called Rajkummar Rao&#39;s year. Not only did the actor get critical appreciation, but also tasted commercial success. With as a many as 5 releases this year, Rao got to showcase his versatility in each of his films. Among those films, Vikramaditya Motwane&#39;s Trapped was perhaps the most different of the lot. It was a tricky film, to begin with- with just one character trapped in a confined space- but Rao performance and a fine screenplay written by Hardik Mehta made Trapped the most unconventional film of the year.&nbsp; 
 
Jagga Jasoos

<iframe allow="encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" gesture="media" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/xtm48kJwL1I" width="560"></iframe>

Ranbir Kapoor&#39;s ambitious film had been in the making for a long time and people were sceptical that how relevant would it be when it finally releases. Yet director Anurag Basu made the film thoroughly entertaining. Made like a typical musical- which is a first for Bollywood- Jagga Jasoos was endearing for many reasons. The music, its camerawork, the way the story was narrated and of course Kapoor and Saswata Chatterjee&#39;s performances made the film thoroughly enjoyable. Basu&#39;s tribute of sorts to Satyajit Ray and Herge&#39;s Tintin was lauded by critics but the storytelling method was not taken well by the audience.&nbsp; 
 
Tu Hai Mera Sunday

<iframe allow="encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" gesture="media" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/b1Q_r-2Y5R4" width="560"></iframe>

Milind Dhaimade&#39;s little film with a big heart was almost overlooked when it released in October. Primarily because the film released on the same day as Saif Ali Khan&#39;s Chef and also because it did not have a big star in it. But word of mouth publicity ensured that the film got more screenings in the coming days and eventually gave Chef a tough fight at the Box Office. Featuring TV heartthrob Barun Sobti, Shahana Goswami and a bunch of theatre and TV actors- Tu Hai Mera Sunday was a story of a motley group in Mumbai looking for space to play football on Sundays. The film, in its own subtle way, highlighted the grave space problem in an ever-growing city like Mumbai. With some endearing performances and breezy narrative- it was a film that a lot of people in the big cities could relate to.&nbsp; 
 
Mukti Bhawan

<iframe allow="encrypted-media" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" gesture="media" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/1A1Sp6-GcmI" width="560"></iframe>

A film on death and afterlife should ideally be morbid, no? But director Shubhashish Bhutiani&#39;s film was uplifting and refreshing in more ways than one. A story of a busy son who takes his father to Varanasi as the old man desires to spend his last few days near the ghats, the film was a poignant take on life and the little things we tend to overlook in our daily lives. With superlative performance by Adil Hussain, the film not only dealt with death but also highlighted the importance of celebrating life.&nbsp;

Filmmakers tried to tell newer stories this year and while a lot of these films got appreciated- here is a list of films that did not get its due credit. Presenting the most underrated films of 2017.?

There is no denying that the year 2017 will down in history as the year where newer stories and smaller films took precedence over big-budget formula films. Filmmakers became brave in storytelling in 2017. From illicit romances to erectile dysfunction to falling in love at 40 to a middle-class housewife finding her voice in the most unexpected manner- filmmakers tried to tell newer stories this year. And while a lot of these films got appreciated by critics and masses alike- here is a list of films that did not get its due credit. Presenting the most underrated films of 2017. Haraamkhor: A story of a student falling in love with her teacher would make a lot of people uncomfortable. But filmmaker Shlok Sharma dealt with the story in the most subtle, nuanced manner. Coupled with strong performances by its lead- Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Shweta Triptha-Haraamkhor was a different take on love. Sharma could have gone overboard showing a romance that most deem as scandalous but he broached the topic in a sensitive, mature manner making the film a compelling watch. Anaarkali Of Aarah If Anaarkali of Aarah had released a year back, Aniruddha Roy Choudhary's Pink would have appeared flawed. Journalist turned filmmaker Avinash Das' film spoke about consent, but in a society where the term is almost alien. Centered around Anaarkali whose profession is to sing songs full of sexual innuendoes, the film highlighted the plight of many such women who may sing raunchy songs for a living but are not ready to give sexual favours to men. Anaarkali's battle may have been a lonely one, but it sure resonated with a lot of women across the country and drove home a very important point- that a 'No' means a 'No'. While the film was lauded by the critics, its the audience which overlooked the film. Perhaps because of its look or maybe because it did not have a big name in the star cast- but it was a film that will remain relevant in the times to come. Meri Pyaari Bindu Ayushmann Khurrana had multiple releases this year- making him, along with Rajkummar Rao, the new poster boy of the middle-class. And while people loved him in Shubh Mangal Saavdhan and Bareilly Ki Barfi- his performance in Akshay Roy's Meri Pyaari Bindu almost went unnoticed. Which is unfortunate because of all the three films, Khurrana was absolutely brilliant as Bubla Roy, the wry, angsty novelist in this film. Paired opposite the vivacious Parineeti Chopra, the film took a fairly realistic approach towards modern romances and heartbreaks. With a beautiful soundtrack, Meri Pyaari Bindu was perhaps the most subtle love story of this year with endering performances by not just the lead pair but the entire supporting cast- who are mainly known faces of Bengali film industry. Death In The Gunj Konkona Sen Sharma's film was in English and a bit of Bengali, which is perhaps the reason that the film had less commercial viability. But the actress-filmmaker should be given credit for making a film that will remain relevant for decades to come. At the onset, it looked like a mystery thriller about a death in McCluskiegunj where a family gathers for a vacation- but the story ultimately was so much more than that. The film dealt with how a society perceives masculinity and how we always succumb to stereotypes. It had a superlative cast - each performing their character with absolute ease. More importantly, the film made a lot of people sit up and take notice of a fine actor called Vikrant Massey- who as the central character Shutu - gave one of the best performances this year. Trapped 2017 can easily be called Rajkummar Rao's year. Not only did the actor get critical appreciation, but also tasted commercial success. With as a many as 5 releases this year, Rao got to showcase his versatility in each of his films. Among those films, Vikramaditya Motwane's Trapped was perhaps the most different of the lot. It was a tricky film, to begin with- with just one character trapped in a confined space- but Rao performance and a fine screenplay written by Hardik Mehta made Trapped the most unconventional film of the year. Jagga Jasoos Ranbir Kapoor's ambitious film had been in the making for a long time and people were sceptical that how relevant would it be when it finally releases. Yet director Anurag Basu made the film thoroughly entertaining. Made like a typical musical- which is a first for Bollywood- Jagga Jasoos was endearing for many reasons. The music, its camerawork, the way the story was narrated and of course Kapoor and Saswata Chatterjee's performances made the film thoroughly enjoyable. Basu's tribute of sorts to Satyajit Ray and Herge's Tintin was lauded by critics but the storytelling method was not taken well by the audience. Tu Hai Mera Sunday Milind Dhaimade's little film with a big heart was almost overlooked when it released in October. Primarily because the film released on the same day as Saif Ali Khan's Chef and also because it did not have a big star in it. But word of mouth publicity ensured that the film got more screenings in the coming days and eventually gave Chef a tough fight at the Box Office. Featuring TV heartthrob Barun Sobti, Shahana Goswami and a bunch of theatre and TV actors- Tu Hai Mera Sunday was a story of a motley group in Mumbai looking for space to play football on Sundays. The film, in its own subtle way, highlighted the grave space problem in an ever-growing city like Mumbai. With some endearing performances and breezy narrative- it was a film that a lot of people in the big cities could relate to. Mukti Bhawan A film on death and afterlife should ideally be morbid, no? But director Shubhashish Bhutiani's film was uplifting and refreshing in more ways than one. A story of a busy son who takes his father to Varanasi as the old man desires to spend his last few days near the ghats, the film was a poignant take on life and the little things we tend to overlook in our daily lives. With superlative performance by Adil Hussain, the film not only dealt with death but also highlighted the importance of celebrating life.

Yearender 2017: The most underrated films of this year

India`s minister for women has warned Bollywood producers over sexual harassment in the Hindi film industry after a scandal that has brought down some leading Hollywood figures. 
 
Maneka Gandhi wrote to leading production houses reminding them that they are &quot;ethically and legally&quot; responsible for providing a &quot;safe, secure and inclusive work environment&quot; for all staff under Indian law. 
 
Bollywood has not so far faced the kind of allegations that have rocked the US film industry and led to the downfall of movie mogul Harvey Weinstein. 
 
But last month a Bollywood actress said she had been harassed by an unnamed director early in her career. 
 
India`s Ministry of Women and Child Development said in a series of tweets late Wednesday that Gandhi had written letters to 24 producers urging them to comply with India`s 2013 sexual harassment act.

&quot;The aim of this law is to ensure that no woman is sexually harassed at her workplace,&quot; she wrote.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;This is to be followed in letter and spirit by all organisations in the country and I expect you to personally lead these efforts with sincerity and commitment, in accordance with all the applicable laws,&quot; Gandhi added.

It follows an interview that Bollywood actress Swara Bhaskar gave to the Mumbai Mirror tabloid in November in which she said she had &quot;lost a few roles&quot; over the years because she &quot;didn`t give in&quot; to unwanted advances.

Bhaskar urged aspiring actresses to reject parts rather than &quot;get on the couch&quot;, a reference to the &quot;casting couch&quot; culture where young women are expected to exchange sexual favours to be cast in a film. 
 
The issue is almost never discussed in Indian media or talked about openly by Bollywood stars, but aspiring actors and actresses are known to regularly share their experiences of it privately.&nbsp; 
 
Since the Weinstein scandal first broke some Indian actresses, including Kalki Koechlin and Richa Chadha, have said Bollywood needs to create an environment where victims can speak out without fear of being ostracised or trolled on social media. 
 
Bhaskar said in her interview that the cliquey nature of Bollywood, where many of the leading stars and directors are either friends or related, made going public with allegations difficult. 
 
 
 
&nbsp;

Since the Weinstein scandal first broke some Indian actresses have said Bollywood needs to create an environment where victims can speak out without fear of being ostracised or trolled on social media.

India`s minister for women has warned Bollywood producers over sexual harassment in the Hindi film industry after a scandal that has brought down some leading Hollywood figures. Maneka Gandhi wrote to leading production houses reminding them that they are "ethically and legally" responsible for providing a "safe, secure and inclusive work environment" for all staff under Indian law. Bollywood has not so far faced the kind of allegations that have rocked the US film industry and led to the downfall of movie mogul Harvey Weinstein. But last month a Bollywood actress said she had been harassed by an unnamed director early in her career. India`s Ministry of Women and Child Development said in a series of tweets late Wednesday that Gandhi had written letters to 24 producers urging them to comply with India`s 2013 sexual harassment act. "The aim of this law is to ensure that no woman is sexually harassed at her workplace," she wrote. "This is to be followed in letter and spirit by all organisations in the country and I expect you to personally lead these efforts with sincerity and commitment, in accordance with all the applicable laws," Gandhi added. It follows an interview that Bollywood actress Swara Bhaskar gave to the Mumbai Mirror tabloid in November in which she said she had "lost a few roles" over the years because she "didn`t give in" to unwanted advances. Bhaskar urged aspiring actresses to reject parts rather than "get on the couch", a reference to the "casting couch" culture where young women are expected to exchange sexual favours to be cast in a film. The issue is almost never discussed in Indian media or talked about openly by Bollywood stars, but aspiring actors and actresses are known to regularly share their experiences of it privately. Since the Weinstein scandal first broke some Indian actresses, including Kalki Koechlin and Richa Chadha, have said Bollywood needs to create an environment where victims can speak out without fear of being ostracised or trolled on social media. Bhaskar said in her interview that the cliquey nature of Bollywood, where many of the leading stars and directors are either friends or related, made going public with allegations difficult.

Maneka Gandhi warns Bollywood producers over sexual harassment in industry

Ever since the Harvey Weinstein was accused by nearly 60 women of sexual harassment and assault, Hollywood has been openly discussing the topic. Many of the other actors have been accused of sexual misconduct including Kevin Spacey and Dustin Hoffman. Closer home, Swara Bhaskar has now joined in the discussion and expressed how both men and women are vulnerable to harassment at workplace in India.&nbsp;

In an interview with Mumbai Mirror, Swara Bhaskar recalled how a director had stalked her on a film set during her initial days in the film industry. &quot;During a 56-day outdoor shoot at a remote location when I was still fairly new, the director harassed me with texts and dinner invites. He stalked me during the day and called me through the night. I was asked to go to his hotel room on the pretext of discussing a scene and would find him drinking. During the first week itself, he started talking about love and sex, and one night, he arrived in my room, drunk and asking to be hugged. It was scary!&rdquo; 
 
Things settled down for a bit when Swara threatened to leave the film set. But she got only a temporary respite as he went back to his ways. &quot;I finally confided in the executive producer and made sure that I was escorted everywhere,&quot; said the actress.&nbsp; 
 
According to Bhaskar, film sets often work in feudal, hierarchical ways making conditions on the sets ripe for sexual harassment. &quot; Victims can be easily silenced,&rdquo; she added.&nbsp;Women are often eve-teased on films sets and cat-calling is also prevalent. &quot;There is lack of security for women on film sets.&quot; 
 
According to Swara the best way to deal with such harassment is to &quot;lose the part but don&#39;t get on the couch.&quot;&nbsp;Swara is currently shooting for Veere Di Wedding which also co-stars Sonam Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor.&nbsp;

Swara Bhaskar recalled how a director had stalked her on a film set during her initial days in the film industry

Ever since the Harvey Weinstein was accused by nearly 60 women of sexual harassment and assault, Hollywood has been openly discussing the topic. Many of the other actors have been accused of sexual misconduct including Kevin Spacey and Dustin Hoffman. Closer home, Swara Bhaskar has now joined in the discussion and expressed how both men and women are vulnerable to harassment at workplace in India. In an interview with Mumbai Mirror, Swara Bhaskar recalled how a director had stalked her on a film set during her initial days in the film industry. "During a 56-day outdoor shoot at a remote location when I was still fairly new, the director harassed me with texts and dinner invites. He stalked me during the day and called me through the night. I was asked to go to his hotel room on the pretext of discussing a scene and would find him drinking. During the first week itself, he started talking about love and sex, and one night, he arrived in my room, drunk and asking to be hugged. It was scary!” Things settled down for a bit when Swara threatened to leave the film set. But she got only a temporary respite as he went back to his ways. "I finally confided in the executive producer and made sure that I was escorted everywhere," said the actress. According to Bhaskar, film sets often work in feudal, hierarchical ways making conditions on the sets ripe for sexual harassment. " Victims can be easily silenced,” she added. Women are often eve-teased on films sets and cat-calling is also prevalent. "There is lack of security for women on film sets." According to Swara the best way to deal with such harassment is to "lose the part but don't get on the couch." Swara is currently shooting for Veere Di Wedding which also co-stars Sonam Kapoor and Kareena Kapoor.

Swara Bhaskar on sexual harassment in Bollywood: Lose the part but don't get on the couch

The actress Tisca Chopra has landed herself in the soup after saying that &quot;women are just as much to blame&quot; when it comes to sexual harassment in the Indian film industry, and whether there is a culture of silence around it.&nbsp;

Chopra was speaking to The Print, which was&nbsp;asking the question: &quot;Is there a culture of silence on sexual harassment in Indian film industry?&quot;

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/metoo-women-across-the-world-resonate-weinsteins-accusers-22516" target="_blank">Also</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/metoo-women-across-the-world-resonate-weinsteins-accusers-22516" target="_blank"> read --&nbsp;#MeToo: Women across the world resonate Weinstein&#39;s accusers</a>

The Print had asked people from Bollywood to respond.&nbsp;

The list of respondents included, among others, the actors Swara Bhaskar and Kalki Koechlin, the film critic Rajeev Masand, and Chopra.&nbsp;

&quot;I&rsquo;m going to be very categorical when I say that women are just as much to blame, because they put themselves in those vulnerable positions. Why do these women go to hotel rooms? Do they not fear for their personal safety? Have they not heard of people&rsquo;s reputations, and why do they engage with those men?,&quot; Chopra had said to The Print.&nbsp;

She added: &quot;Why do they not say &ldquo;N-O:no&rdquo; point blank? And why be alone with a person like that? Every human being is hardwired to protect themselves. Self-preservation is the biggest instinct human beings have, why do they lose that? They think that somehow they will be the one that will duck the pattern and will escape. Knowing someone&rsquo;s reputation, why would you put yourself in that position with them?

&quot;Being a woman, I would say that first of all, protect yourself. Don&rsquo;t put yourself in that position. The more women start saying flat-out &ldquo;no&rdquo;s, the more these men will understand that this is not the way, this is not going to work. But a woman goes and says yes, and so it gives them the authority to say &ldquo;If this one won&rsquo;t do it, then that one will do it,&rdquo; or &ldquo;I&rsquo;ll take that one, I&rsquo;ll take this one&rdquo;. So, you know, those choices need to stop becoming available to these men. It just has to be absolutely not possible.&quot;&nbsp;

The Twitterati reacted furiously to Chopra&#39;s choice of words:&nbsp;

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Oh my God! How dumb are you? A &#39;no&#39; means no. Nothing else
&mdash; Shikha (@sv_052) <a href="https://twitter.com/sv_052/status/920644659633799169?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 18, 2017</a></blockquote>
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What the fuck? No means No. Please do not Bollywoodise consent.
&mdash; Prerna Subramanian (@unlovdfatminist) <a href="https://twitter.com/unlovdfatminist/status/920603119716679681?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 18, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Pray, where is this &#39;safe&#39; place?At the office?In cars? Inside homes?Y go anywhere at all since I fear for my safety?Assault cn happn anywhr
&mdash; Ishmeet Nagpal (@IshmeetNagpal) <a href="https://twitter.com/IshmeetNagpal/status/920631139005591552?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 18, 2017</a></blockquote>
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The other respondents to The Print had taken very&nbsp;different positions.&nbsp;

&quot;We are all guilty of being in-the-know, and of being silent,&quot; Bhaskar had said.&nbsp;

&quot;This is a power game and it is being broken down through social media,&quot; Koechlin had said.&nbsp;

And &quot;The casting couch has been one of Bollywood&rsquo;s worst-kept secrets,&quot; Masand had said.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

The actor was responding to the question: 'Is there a culture of silence on sexual harassment in (the) Indian film industry?'

The actress Tisca Chopra has landed herself in the soup after saying that "women are just as much to blame" when it comes to sexual harassment in the Indian film industry, and whether there is a culture of silence around it. Chopra was speaking to The Print, which was asking the question: "Is there a culture of silence on sexual harassment in Indian film industry?" Also read -- #MeToo: Women across the world resonate Weinstein's accusers The Print had asked people from Bollywood to respond. The list of respondents included, among others, the actors Swara Bhaskar and Kalki Koechlin, the film critic Rajeev Masand, and Chopra. "I’m going to be very categorical when I say that women are just as much to blame, because they put themselves in those vulnerable positions. Why do these women go to hotel rooms? Do they not fear for their personal safety? Have they not heard of people’s reputations, and why do they engage with those men?," Chopra had said to The Print. She added: "Why do they not say “N-O:no” point blank? And why be alone with a person like that? Every human being is hardwired to protect themselves. Self-preservation is the biggest instinct human beings have, why do they lose that? They think that somehow they will be the one that will duck the pattern and will escape. Knowing someone’s reputation, why would you put yourself in that position with them? "Being a woman, I would say that first of all, protect yourself. Don’t put yourself in that position. The more women start saying flat-out “no”s, the more these men will understand that this is not the way, this is not going to work. But a woman goes and says yes, and so it gives them the authority to say “If this one won’t do it, then that one will do it,” or “I’ll take that one, I’ll take this one”. So, you know, those choices need to stop becoming available to these men. It just has to be absolutely not possible." The Twitterati reacted furiously to Chopra's choice of words: Oh my God! How dumb are you? A 'no' means no. Nothing else — Shikha (@sv_052) October 18, 2017 × What the fuck? No means No. Please do not Bollywoodise consent. — Prerna Subramanian (@unlovdfatminist) October 18, 2017 × Pray, where is this 'safe' place?At the office?In cars? Inside homes?Y go anywhere at all since I fear for my safety?Assault cn happn anywhr — Ishmeet Nagpal (@IshmeetNagpal) October 18, 2017 × The other respondents to The Print had taken very different positions. "We are all guilty of being in-the-know, and of being silent," Bhaskar had said. "This is a power game and it is being broken down through social media," Koechlin had said. And "The casting couch has been one of Bollywood’s worst-kept secrets," Masand had said.

Tisca Chopra on sexual harassment in Bollywood: Women just as much to blame

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