Bollywood actor Deepika Padukone has said that the #MeToo movement still has a long way to go.
“It kind of had picked up steam. But I think for something that has been so sort of accepted, you know, a part of not just film fraternity but society as a whole, I don’t think something that erupts for such a short period of time, we are going to see that kind of change we actually should be seeing. And that’s my fear,” she said at the International Advertising Association (IAA) World Congress here on Friday.
“We cannot isolate the men in this conversation,” said Ms. Padukone, while adding that the movement was definitely a conversation starter.
“I would say that certainly there is some amount of fear. But we cannot forget the fact that there are good men out there,” she said.
On WCC
When journalist Anuradha Sengupta praised the Women in Cinema Collective (WCC) in Kerala for speaking against gender injustice in the Malayalam film industry, Ms. Padukone said that there should be something similar in every industry.
“But it should be gender-neutral. Men have to participate in this conversation to bring change. I really think it’s about right versus wrong and not male versus female,” the actor said.
On depression
Recalling the tough days when she went through depression, Ms. Padukone said the stigma and lack of awareness about it had resulted in many people not seeking professional help.
“Depression can happen to anyone, at any stage, from any strata of society, any gender,” she said.