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00:00Good afternoon, this is Manjusha Radhakrishnan from Gulf News, I'm the entertainment editor.
00:08Today I have Dubai based actor Mithun and RJ who's speaking to us about a very grim issue
00:14about the Me Too movement that's gathering traction in the Malayalam film industry.
00:20For those who don't know, there was a HEMA committee findings which pointed towards sexual
00:25abuse, casting couch and powerful cliques operating in the Malayalam film industry.
00:30Several women have come forward calling out alleged predators.
00:34Mithun, I just wanted an understanding about it, you are a male, have you found any set
00:43unsafe for women?
00:44I don't know, see the major thing is when I came in, I came in by around 2000 when I
00:49started in the industry.
00:50I was around 18, 18-19 at that point, so see at that point it's too fascinating for you,
00:57too fascinating for you, too entertaining for you and you've heard these stories, you
01:02are actually also looking around, oh something like that is going to happen.
01:08So anyway at that point of time I was never actually even aware of these things at that
01:13point.
01:14We have all heard stories from our childhood saying that cinema is not safe, cinema is
01:18not good for women.
01:20So I mean I was also of the same impression, see the whole, I would always say, all of
01:25us maybe after the Me Too movement and everything that happened out in Hollywood, we all had
01:30a reboot happen right, till a point in which we were not actually, we were all in a very
01:36patriarchal society, we never used to consider these things as, we used to consider these
01:41things normal.
01:42Yeah, we normalized not having women on set.
01:44Which is not a right thing to happen, but I think we all grew up in a society where
01:49we had to be transformed after some time because all of us were, I wouldn't say all of us,
01:53a lot of us were actually going through a path which was not safe for women.
01:57Okay.
01:58And we used to think that it was very normal.
02:00So there had to be a correction force where we had to actually reboot our thinking and
02:04think that, oh you're not supposed to be thinking like this, you have to actually have a thought
02:08in which the people around you, the women around you are safe.
02:11Okay.
02:12You also need to step up if the women around you are not safe.
02:16So when I came into the industry and maybe even I took a higher position in the industry,
02:21that was a point in which this was all considered very normal.
02:24So we never knew these were issues at one point.
02:28So now when you look back at it, yeah, there were a lot of issues.
02:31There were a lot of things, there were a lot of, what do you call, adults jokes, people
02:36you actually used to crack in front of crowds, which at that point was very normal for a
02:4420 year old, 21 year old.
02:46But now when I look back at it and I think, oh, I think how uncomfortable would have that
02:52lady been.
02:53And if it was today, she would have reacted.
02:56So when we actually, I mean, going into a question and when we actually look at people
03:01who are actually opening up and we are saying that, oh, this was something that happened
03:05years back, but this is the time that you can open up and think that, yeah, I actually
03:09went through it and now I can speak up without being in the fear of being considered a woman
03:19in the wrong way.
03:20I don't know a better way to put it, but that's how it is now.
03:25Okay.
03:26But Nitin, you are also friends with all these men, in fact, Jai Surya, et cetera, who have
03:29all been named Mukesh, Siddhi.
03:32How do you feel as an actor who's also, you are in a difficult position right now, I'm
03:37thinking, because you're friends with them on one hand, do you, do you think it was long
03:41time coming though, them being called out?
03:44I don't know.
03:45I mean, the first thing that I would say is, see, when the Dileep issue happened, if you
03:50could actually say that, we were thinking, is it true or not?
03:54We still debate, right?
03:55We still debate with friends because see, Manjusha, I know you as a person.
04:01I know you when we are talking to each other, when we are actually among each other, we
04:06have discussed a lot of things under the sun, but do I really know your side, where you
04:13do things, which are totally pure physical satisfaction or your mental satisfaction?
04:18See, those things are absolutely your own, right?
04:21Okay.
04:22You don't know your relatives even.
04:23Yeah.
04:24Most people, most child predators are relatives is what I've seen from all the statistics
04:29that we have.
04:30So do you really think that anyone working along with each other would really know their
04:35fetishes and fantasies?
04:36Okay.
04:37But it didn't happen in front of you?
04:39Never, right?
04:40Never.
04:41I mean, to the extent of the friendship that I have with it, this is not a point in which
04:46we have actually discussed anything of this sort, right?
04:49Okay.
04:50You have not witnessed it or you don't?
04:51I have not.
04:52I have not actually seen anything.
04:53Okay.
04:54I mean, that's what I said.
04:55I mean, in my, in the years that I was in the movies, like a long time, there have been
05:01a lot of instances which I've seen, which are, which were considered funny.
05:04The two guys, or I mean, the two, a girl and a guy were like hooking up or like, they were
05:09actually together, like trying to like escape from the crowd.
05:13We thought of it as funny, right?
05:15We were all in the same age.
05:17We never thought that, oh, this is problematic, this is a problem, and this is something that
05:21has to be addressed.
05:22Never, right?
05:23Okay.
05:24The concept of consent came in long later.
05:26Why I would say that?
05:27Because when we were in college, we thought, okay, that's how we start, but we didn't know.
05:33Okay.
05:34I'm saying, the reboot happened to all of us a long way later because we were not brought
05:39up in homes like that.
05:40Right, right.
05:41We were not actually told that this is wrong and this is right.
05:43Right, right.
05:44We used to have a lot of grey hair.
05:45See, how would you actually approach a woman even, like, this is something that we're not
05:49taught, right?
05:50Okay.
05:51Okay.
05:52We saw what our parents did, what our elders did, what our adults did.
05:55Okay.
05:56Fair enough.
05:57So, if you ask me, oh, yeah, you should have actually thought of that at that point.
06:00No, I wouldn't.
06:01Uh-huh.
06:02I was not brought up like that.
06:03Right.
06:04I had to change my ways after seeing the world.
06:05I see.
06:06So, of all the names that have come out now, were you surprised by a few or no?
06:10Or are you watching this developing story just like all of us?
06:13I am watching this developing story exactly like all of you are.
06:16I'm really surprised at a lot of names.
06:19I've seen a very, how would I call it, like, very dictatorial stance taken by a few of
06:24them.
06:25Yes.
06:26But I've not seen them take it out on women, if you know what I mean.
06:31Like, if it is a set.
06:33Okay.
06:34They're strict on the set.
06:35Strict on the set.
06:36It's different from being abusive on the set.
06:37Yeah, that's the thing, right?
06:38So, I've seen them actually scold people on the sets, where they have actually said, no,
06:43you have to do it right.
06:45But that doesn't mean that it was, I mean, now when you listen to that, you think that,
06:50maybe this reaction was generated because something that happened yesterday.
06:54It's not something that we know.
06:56No, somebody is being scolded.
06:57You don't know they're being penalized.
06:58Yeah, we thought that this happened because they're not giving the same result that they
07:03needed.
07:04But now, when you look back and think, maybe this happened because yesterday it was not
07:10in their favor.
07:11Oh, wow.
07:12So, what is the way forward, Mithun?
07:14I mean, now, I mean, reforms are likely to happen.
07:17Names are going to come out.
07:19The only thing that I'm worried about is, see, once this happens and a chain of things
07:25happen, finally, this gets lost after some time.
07:29Yes.
07:30See, this has to be taken to court.
07:33The punishments have to happen.
07:36Very rightfully, they have to be tried in the lawful way possible.
07:41What is going to happen is, they're going to say this, I mean, anyone who comes out
07:47and says this, they know, because of the judicial system that is existing in our country
07:51and the way anyone around, all our patriarchal society treats them, they will not move forward
07:57to the complaint.
07:58What will happen is, it will go to a naming and shaming bit, and then that's it.
08:03The right action has to be taken.
08:05It has to be taken to law.
08:07Courts have to get involved.
08:09Even if the women who come forward are not ready to lodge a complaint, courts have in
08:16their ruling in a way in which they can take their own point of view.
08:20So if they do that, then we see a lot of change happening.
08:25See, we saw what happened in Hollywood.
08:27Yes.
08:28See, suddenly we saw women taking stands everywhere.
08:31There was a pattern of behavior charted.
08:33Absolutely.
08:34He had an M.O.
08:35Like if Siddique has an M.O. or Jai Surya, for instance, outside the bathroom, whatever
08:40it is, like there will be a pattern of behavior, predatory behavior displayed.
08:45And the thing is, see, we are already saying that, I mean, even when they are just accused
08:50or even when women have just spoken out, we are already saying that they have an M.O.
08:54We should also give them a chance.
08:56The benefit of doubt.
08:57The benefit of doubt, where they have to actually come out and say that, see, like Jai Surya
09:02said yesterday, I'm not going to take this.
09:04When it goes to court, I'll answer to it.
09:07See, essentially what they did, I mean, the way they actually took away from their questions
09:13is absolutely the right way to go.
09:15Because if they are in a position of strength, position of power, they can actually meddle
09:20with the whole thing in any which way.
09:22So it's better that Ranjit step down, better that Siddique step down.
09:25They can't hold powerful positions while being accused of a crime.
09:28If you're being accused of something, I always think, take a step back, go through the investigations
09:34and then come back.
09:35Right.
09:36Prove your innocence and come back.
09:37Right.
09:38Have you ever witnessed power cliques where work has been denied to you because you are
09:42not friends with that person?
09:44See, that's everywhere, right?
09:46That's everywhere.
09:47You cannot single out Malayalam film industry or any film industry for that matter and say
09:51that if you're not friends with that person, you don't get the job because it was intended
09:55to you.
09:56It's not there.
09:57See, companionship, it's people working together as a family, going together.
10:02If you're not comfortable, definitely it won't go forward.
10:06So there might be points in which you are actually taken instead of another person or
10:10taken away because of another person just because you don't click with the people.
10:14Yeah, but you have never been propositioned.
10:16Not ever.
10:17Okay.
10:18Yesterday, we all spoke about this, what I would say.
10:21This is the start.
10:23This is the start.
10:24I hope it goes in the right direction.
10:26Yeah.
10:27And take a page from Malayalam film industry, the other film industries have to learn as well.
10:31For sure.
10:32For sure.
10:33It's a starting point.
10:34You never know what will come.
10:35Hopefully reforms.
10:36Sure.
10:37That's the thing.
10:38Thank you so much for talking to us.
10:40Bye.
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