Shilpa wants #YouToo instead of #MeToo; Kajol praises girls for taking a stand

By Vandana Srivastawa

on October 08, 2018

The #MeToo wave that Tanushree Dutta brought to Bollywood after accusing veteran actor Nana Patekar of sexual harassment and intimidation has left the entire fraternity shaken. Several celebrities are coming out to support Tanushree and give voice to their opinions. However, Shilpa Shetty said that women should speak out on their harassment but not under the popular hashtag #MeToo that was started in Hollywood last year but #YouToo as it is the men who are at fault and need to be named, shamed and blamed. Kajol also spoke up about the movement and applauded the move.

Shilpa while speaking at a media interaction said, “In any milieu, actors, entrepreneurs, the working environment should feel safe. That should be a prerequisite. This entire movement which has been initiated by Tanushree Dutta, my heart goes out to her, as a woman and on a human level because something like this was brushed under the carpet.”

[caption id="attachment_147356" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Shilpa Shetty[/caption]

She further added, “We don’t know the nitty-gritties of the goings on but it has kick-started a movement. People have suffered. It’s time women wake up and take charge. It shouldn’t be hashtag MeToo, it should be YouToo, for the men. It’s shouldn’t be the women, cowing down and saying oh #MeToo,” she added.

[caption id="attachment_146167" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Kajol[/caption]

Kajol said, “It’s good that women are finally talking and publicly pulling up some people. It’s not going to take away the pain and shame they faced in the past, but by speaking up, they can try and ensure that this doesn’t happen to others in the future. Younger people, and I’m not being gender specific here, will know where to draw the line. They will know when to stand up and say, ‘So far but no further’.”

[caption id="attachment_141788" align="aligncenter" width="647"] Tanushree Dutta and Nana Patekar[/caption]

It’s heartening to know that women celebrities are coming forward to voice their opinions and supporting victims and survivors instead of questioning them and pointing fingers. Tanushree’s accusations have opened a Pandora’s Box which has also resulted in many women on social media coming forward and naming and accusing their perpetrators.