A year after #MeToo's second wave, systemic change eludes Hindi TV industry, but attitudinal shift in evidence

Post #MeToo, mandated workplace mechanisms like ICs are yet to be instituted, but members of the Hindi TV industry say there’s greater awareness about harassment-related issues and the possibility of redressal A little over a year since the second wave of the #MeToo movement stormed social media timelines in India, the entertainment industry has seemingly taken an adage popularly associated with it — “the show must go on” — to heart. The Screenwriters Association and CINTAA have been very active; they’ve formed a strategic alliance and they’ve been conducting workshops to create awareness and make young aspirants understand that there are places they can approach if they feel they are being abused or violated.” Firstpost reached out to Siddharth P Malhotra and Rajan Shahi, the producers of the popular shows of Sanjivani and Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai, respectively, to find out what measures their companies had instituted to guard against workplace sexual harassment. If an issue of harassment were to crop up, Malhotra says, “We will set up a committee internally, and consult experts on the mater, but right now, with just two people running the company, there is no scope [for a committee>.” This correspondent reached out to several leading actresses of the small screen, and while they are easily accessible for show promotions and features, none wished to comment on whether or not the TV industry offers a safe working environment to women. Nanda told Firstpost that while “#MeToo has made men by and large afraid”, it has also had an alternate impact, “which means that men are wary of working with women — and that is not a good thing.” Nanda added that the general refrain surrounding #MeToo is that “the movement failed, just like all women’s movements and movements against patriarchy fail when they meet systemic road blocks”.