The subject of harassment in showbiz is certainly not new to us. Ever since #MeToo took off, people have come forward with their own stories regarding the same. A more recent narrative that has surfaced from our neighbors residing on the other side of the border, is that of Indian Netflix star, Radhika Apte.

The star from three recurring projects by Netflix, (namely Ghoul, Sacred Games, and Lust Stories)  was recently at an event where she didn’t hold back from sharing a personal experience of misconduct from a co-worker.

Radhika is known for speaking her mind and profoundly condemning patriarchal attitudes.

The actor explained how on her way back to her room, she happened to be taking the same lift with a co-worker from the film, who she hadn’t had a proper interaction with. He offered her to call him up if she needs a back-rub in the middle of the night.

She said:

“I can share one incident that happened recently, I had actually hurt my back. We did the shoot and I was heading back to my room with another guy who was in the same lift.”

“He was part of the film but we had not spoken much. He said, ‘Let me know if you need me in the middle of the night for help, I can come and give your back a rub.’”

Apte has also been a part of numerous memes on the internet lately, and her work in Sacred Games besides Saif Ali Khan has been garnering immense love and support from her fans.

She explained that the prevalence of sexual harassment cases in the movie industry is mainly due to the lack of support

Artists need to face their fears and develop a better support system for one another in the industry where not only women but men also are subject to sexual misconduct. She also mentioned that the root cause for such cases is the power that everyone is obliged to.

Speaking during a session, she said:

“This is a gray area. We need to have a good support system and come out of our fears. Well, not just women but men too are harassed in our industry. The main cause is the power game. Be it religious, sexual or economical – it happens everywhere. Nobody wants to lose their power.”

In light of Radhika’s stance, let’s not be ignorant to the prevalence of sexual harassment where the scale is going up every minute.

It is important for us to acknowledge the strength it takes to battle your fears and speak up to the world. We need to urge victims to step forward with their stories and let the world be the judge for the injustice they’ve had to endure.

Have anything to add? Let us know in the comments.

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Cover Image Via: filmcompanion.in