Bollywood: Tanushree Dutta says she is being harassed after starting 'MeToo' movement

Indian actress Tanushree Dutta in 2018 opened up about being sexually harassed in Bollywood which led to the MeToo movement in the Indian film industry. Now, the Aashiq Banaya Aapne actress has said that she is not getting work.

Dutta on Friday uploaded a post on Instagram saying that those who make the Bollywood mafia are also the ones whose names came up in the case of late actor Sushant Singh Rajput's death.

"If anything ever happens to me let it be known that #metoo accused Nana Patekar, his lawyers and associates, and his Bollywood Mafia friends are responsible! Who are Bollywood Mafia?? Same people all whose names came up frequently in SSR death case (note that all have same criminal lawyer)," her caption read.

"Do not watch their movies, boycott them totally and go after them with vicious vengeance. Go after all the industry faces and journalists who planted fake news about me and PR people too behind the vicious smear campaigns. Go after everyone!! Make their lives a living hell because they harassed me so much! The law & justice may have failed me but I have faith in the people of this great Nation."

Earlier, in an interview with an Indian media portal, Dutta revealed that things have been happening to her for a long time and that it is the first time that she has talked about everything in a single post. "This is for the first time, I sat down and put down my thoughts together, while trying not to sound crazy, because when crazy stuff is happening to you, your mind can get affected by it,” she said.

“A lot of stuff has happened since I came back to India. I am trying to resurrect my career, and people are interested in working with me, despite the image that these Bollywood mafias have portrayed as being difficult… I am getting offers for films as well as web projects, in fact signed some also, but have noticed none they materialise. All of a sudden, the producers or director go in incognito mode, or sponsors drop.”

She added that nobody is willing to give her a "chance" to work. “I came back in 2020, and I have lost count how many times this has happened to me. People just get one message ‘it is advisable not to work with her’. And people avoid me because they don’t want to offend anyone. They like to hunt, and that is what it is for them. They are powerful and people don’t want to mess with them. Nobody is going to be willing to give me a chance.”

Dutta didn't take any particular names, instead she says these are "nameless and faceless people". “I don’t want to drop names because I don’t have proof and they are quick to put cases. I was the face of the MeToo movement and rubbed a lot of people the wrong way. These Bollywood bullies have vicious and twisted ways. It is easy for them to harass anyone,” Dutta claims.

The ongoing struggle has resulted in mental stress for the actress but her spirit remains indestructible. “I am not going to lose my sanity or take any drastic steps. It is troublesome and dealing with it is not easy. My life is not a bed of roses… But 12 years of my spiritual life has granted me determination and patience…I’m not enjoying the harassment. I’m enjoying the fact that people still love me. They can sabotage my career, not my spirit,” the actor said. “Please give me work so I can fight better”.

• India