Writer-director Vinta Nanda, whose allegations of sexual assault against Bollywood actor Alok Nath were at the centre of the #MeToo movement in India, said survival instinct kept her going.
“We're not thinking of anything more than what we need to do next to survive,” Nanda said at a panel discussion, titled “After the #MeToo Revolution What Next”, during the We The Women summit that was hosted by noted journalist Barkha Dutt. “If we're going through and surrendering to more trauma, it's an act of bravery.”
Nanda said that enduring pain was a “survival instinct”, which gave her the courage to move on and eventually speak up. She was sharing her experiences about the #MeToo movement with nun and academic Sister Jesme, filmmaker-writer Paromita Vohra and writer Mahima Kukreja.
Nanda—who was the writer for a sitcom starring Nath in the lead in the '90s—wrote on social media in October about the trauma and depression she underwent after she was allegedly sexually assaulted. Nath, who has been booked on charges of rape, has denied the allegation. The actor has since said he will respond to the allegations legally. Nanda's revelations, however, led to his expulsion from an association for cine artists.
The discussion at the even dealt with following issues:
- Understanding the meaning of consent.
- Women's right to freedom and sexual choices.
- Making workplaces less toxic.
- #MeToo and the power play.
- Treating women as equals to men.
- How to deal with practical problems that tend to get the better of women.
BloombergQuint was the media partner for the event.
Watch the entire discussion:
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