The Kannada film industry’s #MeToo movement, stories of sexual harassment , underscores the need for boundaries and change in mindset of influential producers and directors, women actors told News18. Neethu Shetty, a prominent Kannada actor, who has won several awards, including the Karnataka State Film Award for ‘Koti Chennayya’, spoke of the industry’s “sweeping under the carpet" attitude. Shetty told News18: “Once when I requested a producer for some time for a film group that wanted to read out a script to him for a small-budget film, his response was that I should leave it and join him for a holiday in Goa instead.
" ALSO READ | Hema Committee Report: Kannada Film Body Demands Similar Probe “Ask any woman who has acted in Kannada films. They will have a story of harassment to tell. Those who think they can act without accountability need to learn boundaries," said a visibly upset Kannada actor, who has appeared in several southern language movies.
She did not want to be named, fearing it could affect her ongoing project. The mentality of certain groups in the industry, who believe they can speak or behave inappropriately and get away with it because they are known to be rich, powerful and influential, has to change, Neethu reiterated. She spoke of how the Hema Committee report on the Malayalam film industry serves as an example for every industry to introspect and provide women a platform to air their concerns, without being silenced by the system’s hypocr.