Kalki on why Bollywood is silent about its Harvey Weinsteins: It starts with asking right questions

Actor Kalki Koechlin feels Indians need to start asking the right questions to understand the problem of sexual abuse at the workplace, and that sexual harassment goes beyond the entertainment industry.

Ever since top Hollywood stars such as Ashley Judd, Angelina Jolie, Lupita Nyong’o and Gwyneth Paltrow, among others, accused movie mogul Harvey Weinstein of sexual misconduct, the question everyone is asking is as to why Bollywood doesn’t speak up about its own share of Harvey Winsteins. When we put this question to actor Kalki Koechlin on her recent visit to the Capital, she said that “it starts from asking the right questions”.

Actor Kalki Koechlin was seen in the recently released film, Ribbon. (Photo: Praveen Kumar/HT Photo)

“Every time I go to a press conference I get asked ‘were there any cat fights between you and the other actresses?’ People need to ask the right questions to get the right answers,” she says.

But it’s not just the entertainment industry where the problem exists, says Kalki. She says that the industry only gets attention because of its massive following.

“Whatever you like to call it — power or sexual games — it’s everywhere. It’s in office spaces, in homes. I am not saying it’s [calling it out] wrong. It’s good that victims are coming out and these things are getting reported. It’s a tricky situation because the minute a star comes in a situation like this, all the attention and curiosity is diverted towards them,” adds Kalki, who has earlier spoken about being sexually abused as a child.

The 33-year-old actor, however, feels times are changing. “But I just saw a blogger today asking if there are any supporting actors in the industry who have suffered this kind of an abuse. So there are people who want to talk about it and they are asking the right questions. It’s very encouraging,” she says.

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