Over the past few months, the #MeToo movement has been a subject of discussion across different industries, especially Bollywood, with many actresses calling out men in the position of power for alleged sexual harassment. In a roundtable conference moderated by Rajeev Masand for News18, actresses Deepika Padukone, Alia Bhatt, Anushka Sharma, Rani Mukerji, Taapsee Pannu, and Tabu discussed their opinions on the movement. While all of them were on the same page, Rani differed in her stance.

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Anushka spoke about how the Me Too movement has forced people to introspect and was of the view that there should be some sense of fear. To this, Rani replied that as a woman, one has to be powerful and if such a situation comes one must have the courage to say “back off” and protect oneself. Deepika countered Rani’s statement saying that not all women would respond in the same way. Rani responded that those are the women who need to change. She also said that self-defence and martial arts need to be made compulsory in schools, adding that one has to take responsibility for themselves.

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While Deepika, Alia and Anushka were hailed for taking a stand for women at the roundtable, Rani was criticised by social media users with many calling her ignorant and her statements problematic.

Some of the comments and reactions:

However, the Twitter handle of MeToo in India urged those disagreeing with Rani’s viewpoint to give her opinion space, rather than abusing her for her statements on the movement. MeToo movement gained momentum in Bollywood in the year 2018, with several big names facing the music for their wrong deeds.

Rani Mukherjee is a senior actress is Bollywood renowned for her acting skills. She comes from a Bollywood family and is the wife of industry giant Aditya Chopra who owns Yash Raj Films.