Let the venom come out and we will find the medication later: Arjun Kapoor

Bollywood star Arjun Kapoor speaks strongly against sexual harassment to women in the Hindi film industry.

The #meTOO movementhas taken India by storm and women are in the forefront of the Hindi film industry - not just on the big screen but they are also not afraid to share their stories about sexual harassment in Bollywood. Recently, many stories of assault and exploitation of women have come out in the open. Arjun Kapoor, whose latest film Namaste England releases in the UAE today, said that now is the time to patiently hear their stories, and understand the gravity of the assault that women have faced and stand by them. He added that women need to be treated with utmost dignity. 
"It's not just restricted to Bollywood, it is something that is happening countrywide and worldwide right now. Yes, Bollywood is the starting point and it is the phantom and villain of the piece right now," Arjun said, while talking to City Times. 
"But I want to urge people to calm down, shut up and listen. We tend to create debate after debate, problems within problems, and indulge in countless irrelevant conversations," added Arjun.
It is all about providing a safe working environment for women. "It is not just a film industry issue. It is an issue that is prevalent in every profession. We just need to allow women who have shown the courage to put their stories out there and for us to understand what they have gone through. We tend to just deviate from the topic and dilute the issue. Right now is not the time for reaction or judging. This is the time to keep quiet. Who are we to judge as to what the reality is? We need to be empathetic towards them and have to be very patient about their issues." 
Cine and TV Artists' Association (CINTAA) recently conducted a press conference and came out with stringent rules ensuring protection from sexual harassment at workplace. Recently, even the Producers Guild appointed a new committee, with producer Sneha Rajani as its head, to address the issue of sexual harassment at the workplace within the film industry. 
Many actions are being taken to make sure that there is no abuse of power or patriarchy anymore. 
"Let the venom come out and we will find the medication later. It is not something that we can find a solution for right away. It is something that is happening in our houses. We have to make changes in the mindset of the people," said Arjun.
 
On getting back with Parineeti 
Arjun and Parineeti Chopra made their debut with Ishaqzaade and are coming back together once again in Namaste England. The movie is a breezy follow up to the2007 hit Namastey London, with Arjun and Parineeti taking the place of Akshay Kumar and Katrina Kaif. What inspired Arjun to sign this film? "I was a big fan of Namastey London. Namaste England for me was more exciting because,even though Parineeti had signed the film before me, when I read the story, I sort of felt that she would perfectly fit the bill. I felt that our character from our debut film Ishaqzaade, Parma and Zoya, did not get a happy ending. But, Jasmeet and Param (their characters in Namaste England), their story begins from a happily ever-after marriage. I thought it would be interesting to see her and me play a young, married couple."
What does he think of his co-star's journey so far in the industry? "She and I have remained friends for the last few years even after Ishaqzaade. It didn't feel very different off camera, but ,definitely, on camera, we were both intrigued to see if we both have evolved and changed."
"I can safely say that she has always been a good actor and she is even better now. Her journey has been amazing. She has managed to sustain her success throughout. It is not easy to get success so early and hold onto it and make an entire career out of it.  When she started out, she was a bit naive of the potential that this field has for her. Now, I can see her focus and understanding of the medium and that is very very important," Arjun said.
 
 
 
Badhaai Ho team disappoints 
We got in touch with the team of Badhaai Ho for an interview ahead of the release of the movie in the UAE today. After sending the team questions on their movie and the #MeToo movement, the PR of the film informed us that the cast doesn't want to answer any questions relating to the #MeToo movement. We were disappointed because these conversations are happening right now and we believe that it is important for every member of the film industry to speak out and support the survivors. Arjun Kapoor was down with high fever when we got in touch with him last morning. But still the actor patiently answered our questions about both the #MeToo movement and his movie, Namaste England. 
 
 
arti@khaleejtimes.com