Filmmaker Imtiaz Ali recently faced backlash for his comments on the safety of women on sets and on the casting couch at IFFI Goa. Filmmaker-writer Vinta Nanda criticised his remarks and questioned why he was chosen to speak on behalf of women. Soon after, on Friday, Ali took to his social media and issued a clarification and stated that his statement was misunderstood.
Taking to his Instagram story, Imtiaz said, "Uh oh there seems to be a misunderstanding that I must clarify. I haven't denied or disputed the tons of harassment cases that Vinta ji and many other friends have spoken about; in fact these incidents are deeply disturbing and must be dealt with severely and consistently."
He added, "I was pointing out that it is doubly frustrating that the entire film industry, all those hundreds of men on every set who are otherwise remarkably well-mannered, get a bad name for the acts of a few. Of course, terrible things have happened and continue to happen and they are shameful - as an industry and nation, we should have a zero-tolerance policy towards them. We have to uphold our honour together and regardless of gender."
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Earlier, Vinta wrote, "Imtiaz Ali should stop pontificating about what women face in the entertainment industry. Naturally, a Kareena Kapoor is safe because she is privileged. And, he surely must know that the casting couch exists!"
She added, "Why has IFFI Goa selected him to speak on behalf of women? Is it to whitewash the truth? If men like him had the courtesy to abstain from speaking on a subject they have no experience about, one will believe that change is indeed taking place."
It all started when Imtiaz said, "Let me tell you, if a woman or girl cannot say 'no,' her chances of succeeding don’t necessarily increase. It’s not like if a girl compromises, she’ll definitely get a role. If a girl can say 'no' and respects herself, only then will others respect her too. People like me and many others often think about whether we take someone seriously or not; we need to respect a person to cast her."
