Senior journalists are stepping aside, a film production studio has closed, and one of India’s bestselling authors has issued a public apology after a flood of women named men on social media whom they accused of behaving inappropriately.
Yesterday the swell of accusations reached the Indian government, when several women alleged that the Minister of State for External Affairs M J Akbar had made unwelcome passes at them during his previous career as a journalist and editor.
Akbar is yet to respond to the accusations and his boss Sushma Swaraj appeared to ignore questions about them yesterday morning.
Also yesterday Vinta Nanda, a veteran writer-producer of the avant-garde 1990s’ show Tara fame, accused actor Alok Nath – known for his “sanskaari”(cultured) on-screen image – of sexually violating her almost two decades ago. The Cine & TV Artists Association (CINTAA) has decided to send him a show-cause notice.
“I have waited for this moment to come for 19 years,” Nanda wrote in a long, heart-wrenching Facebook post, referring to the “predator in question” as “the actor par excellence who is known as the most ‘sanskaari’ person in the film and television industry”.
Her suggestive remarks like “sanskaari” and that the person concerned was the “lead actor” and a “television star of that decade” were good enough to make out that Nanda was indeed pointing the finger at Nath.
Nanda later confirming it saying: “It is Alok Nath. I thought saying ‘sanskaari’ would do the needful.”
CINTAA general secretary Sushant Singh has said a show-cause notice will be sent to Nath. He urged Nanda to file a complaint against “this vile creature”, and added: “We extend you full support”.
Nath is known for his roles as a stereotypical Indian father, personifying religious traditions and moral values in films and TV shows.
“He was an alcoholic, shameless and obnoxious but he was also the television star of that decade, so not only was he forgiven for all his bad behaviour, many of the guys would also egg him on to be his worst,” Nanda wrote, adding that he even harassed the show’s lead actress who was not interested in him.
However, Nath said the allegation was “absurd” as he “made her what she is”.
Nath told ABP News: “Kuch to log kahenge (People will say something). Neither am I denying this nor do I agree with it. It (rape) must have happened, but someone else would have done it. Well, I do not want to talk much about it. As for the matter, if it has come out, it will be stretched.”
The endemic nature of sexual misconduct in Indian workplaces was an open secret, but the country had now reached “a certain sweet spot” where women felt their accounts would be heard, said Anoo Bhuyan, a journalist who was among the first to name her alleged harasser on Twitter last week.
Momentum was built by Bollywood actress Tanushree Dutta, who ten years ago accused Nana Patekar, a veteran actor, of sexually harassing her on set. She recently returned to India and repeated the allegations, which went viral on social media and prompted several other actors to speak out in support. Patekar has denied the allegations.
Accusations also started being aired on social media last Thursday when several women, along with a 17-year-old girl, accused comedian Utsav Chakraborty of sending unsolicited pictures.
He first denied the allegations, then issued an apology on Twitter on Friday: “The past 24 hours were a crucible. I faced a very scary personal truth. I can’t think of myself as a victim anymore. Please tell me what to do now. How to make things right? I don’t want anyone to be hurt anymore.”
The days since have seen a torrent of allegations by women ranging from being the target of suggestive language to accusations of violent rape.
An emerging director, Vikas Bahl, dissolved his film company on Saturday, the same day HuffPost published an investigation accusing him of misbehaving with a co-worker after a party in 2015.
Leading star Hrithik Roshan, who is about to appear in major film produced by Bahl, tweeted on Monday he had asked other producers to investigate the allegations and “take a harsh stand if need be”.
Chetan Bhagat, the author of popular books including Half Girlfriend, wrote an apology on Twitter after a woman posted screenshots in which the married writer said he wanted to “woo” her.
“The screenshots, are of course real, and I am sorry if you felt they were wrong I hope you will accept my apology,” he wrote. He said he felt a strong connection with the woman, had misread the situation and “was going through a phase” at the time.
Minister Akbar is the highest-profile man to be accused of behaving inappropriately, with several women alleging on Twitter he invited them to job interviews in hotel rooms where he made sexual advances.
One of the women, journalist Priya Ramani, wrote an article last year about an unnamed editor who was “an expert on obscene phone calls, texts, inappropriate compliments and not taking no for an answer”. On Monday night, she posted on Twitter that Akbar was the editor in question.
Akbar, an MP for the ruling Bharatiya Janata party, was a celebrated former editor of newspapers including the Kolkata-based Telegraph, the Asian Age and the Sunday Guardian. He is yet to comment on the allegations.
Another journalist, who withheld her identity, said she turned down a job with Akbar’s newspaper after “the whole experience of an interview sitting on a bed in a hotel room followed by an invitation to come over for a drink”.
Prerna Singh Bindra, another journalist, said Akbar “made life at work hell” when she declined his sexual advances.