Dia Mirza stresses on the need to create work environments that are equally safe for men and women, and where people cannot misuse power.
New Delhi: As the #MeToo campaign in India gains ground, Hindi film actress and producer Dia Mirza has stressed that those involved in the movement should remain honest.
“Honesty in the #MeToo campaign is of paramount importance,” she said, speaking at ThePrint’s Democracy Wall at Vellore Institute of Technology, Wednesday.
“Using a date gone wrong or a personal vendetta to malign someone in such times will be a huge disservice to those who have genuinely been wronged,” she said.
Mirza was in conversation with associate editor Rohini Swamy.
Democracy Wall is a monthly free speech campus initiative organised by ThePrint in collaboration with Facebook.
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When asked whether she sees the #MeToo campaign gaining enough momentum in the country, she said more people are now coming out in support of such a movement which is evident from Tanushree Dutta’s case.
“It has gained momentum because it formed a collective of voices. There are so many more people willing to listen, to allow this person to speak, and to recognise and respect the fact that what this human being is saying could be true,” she said.
“And that’s the difference between Tanushree speaking 10 years ago and Tanushree speaking today,” Mirza said.
She also stressed the need to create work environments that are equally safe for men and women, and “where people cannot misuse the power they hold”.
Working in Bollywood
When asked about difficulties she may have faced as a woman in the film industry, Mirza said that having a voice as a woman can be “alienating”.
The actress said she lost out on many opportunities because she “wasn’t willing to invest in the patriarchy”.
“I wanted to know what the script was; I wanted to understand what the character was about,” she said. “I was not just happy being part of a film because there were five songs in it for me.”
Mirza also credited Rajkumar Hirani as the first director she worked with who was willing to discuss the character and script with her.
Environment and human rights
Mirza, a green crusader, also made a case for protecting the environment, terming it as central to safeguarding human rights.
“Our well-being, our security, our safety, our life is not independent of the environment,” she said.
“When we speak of human rights which is food security, health security or opportunity to progress or succeed — all of this is deeply connected to the health of the environment,” Mirza said.
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“We don’t have the luxury to wait until 2022 or 2030, and we need to start making at least simple changes in our lifestyle for environment protection,” she said.
Other speakers included BJP parliamentarian Meenakshi Lekhi, stand-up comedian Rajneesh Kapoor, founder and co-director at Aarambh India Uma Subramanian and rap artiste Feyago.