Angad Bedi: Sexual harassment has been there for a long time. At some point, it had to come out

The

#MeToo

movement in India has encouraged many women from across professions to name and shame sexual predators at their workplace. Talking about this watershed movement, actor Angad Bedi says, “My heart goes out to all the women, who have faced harassment. It is unfortunate that this is how people go about their professional life. All the people who have been named should be taken to task. It is extremely important to bell the cat. Whether women are openly talking about it or narrating incidents anonymously, imagine the pain that they must be experiencing. These women have had to bottle up these feelings for many years and it needs to have an outlet. Otherwise, it will become a disease. In the film industry, people whose names have been outed have been asked to leave projects. It’s a very good step that’s been taken in the right direction. We have to help and encourage the women who work in this profession, because many of them are more successful than the men. It is our job to protect them and ensure that they feel comfortable in their workplace.”

Quiz him on what makes men behave in this entitled manner and he adds, “When power goes into the wrong hands, this is what happens. When less-deserving people manage to acquire power, they behave like this, because it is an ego trip for them. Will these men behave like this at the beginning of their career? Is this what was taught to them by their parents? Is this how they were taught to behave with women? Who has given these men the authority to take advantage of a woman’s vulnerability? A lot of people are saying that it could be a publicity gimmick for many. But let me tell you, there is never any smoke without fire.

Sexual harassment

has been there for a long time. It was simmering and at some point, it had to come out.”