The #MeToo movement has opened a can of worms and Saif Ali Khan says he stands in solidarity with women sharing their stories of sexual harassment as he understands the pain they have been through.
The Sacred Games star said he faced harassment years ago, even though it was not sexual in nature. “I have also been harassed in my career, not sexually, but I have been harassed 25 years ago and I am still angry about it,” Saif told PTI. “Most people don’t understand other people. It is very difficult to understand other people’s pain. I don’t want to talk about it because I am not important today. Even when I think about what happened with me I still get angry. Today, we have to look after women,” he added.
Saif said the offenders must be punished even if they are found guilty in an old case. “People are offended and they want justice. What it is happening is good and it gives you a sense that something is happening,” he added.
“You are removing someone (from the job) and it is a big deal. You are removing a person, but everybody has worked on a project so you have to balance things. People who have sexually harassed and abused women should pay for it.” His co-stars from Humshakals - Bipasha Basu and Esha Gupta - recently opened up about director Sajid Khan’s “rude” behaviour towards women on the sets of the 2014 film.
While Bipasha said she was disturbed with Sajid’s attitude towards women, Esha revealed she got into a lot of arguments with him. Sajid is accused of sexual misconduct by three female actors and a journalist. He has since been replaced by Farhad Samji as the director of Housefull 4.
Recalling his experience during Humshakals, Saif said, “I don’t remember anything like this happening genuinely because if it would have happened I would not have been comfortable in that environment or allowed it to happen in front of me.”
“I would hate an atmosphere where women are being looked down upon or mistreated in any way. I don’t think that’s how an atmosphere should be,” he added. Saif, 48, asserted he will not work with those who have been accused of sexual misconduct.
“We all need to have the same attitude. I don’t want to work with them. We have to understand that how these people are behaving, it is not ok, it is disgusting.”
He went on to tell Mumbai Mirror, “I don’t like bullying, it’s disgusting! It’s never been there in my world and I want to see it gone. #MeToo is a good start because people will now think 20 times before misbehaving.”
In an interview to the Times of India, he said, "If someone asks my daughter to come to see him at Madh Island, I will go with her and punch that man in the face. If she tells me this guy said this to me, he will then be fighting me in the court. I am sorry, but that's my reaction to it. He wouldn't dare to do it again. Every girl should have that kind of security."
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