Karan Johar Comments On #MeToo Movement, Says 'Sex Minus Consent Equals Sexual Harassment'

The ongoing #MeToo movement has brought about a major revolution in the past few weeks as a lot of prominent personalities have come under the scanner for their sexual misconduct. After Tanushree Dutta accused Nana Patekar of sexual misconduct, a lot of women have exposed their sexual predators. While a lot of B-town celebs have been extending their solidarity in support of the Me Too movement, filmmaker Karan Johar’s silence on the matter was often questioned. As a matter of fact, Kangana Ranaut had taken a dig at Karan’s deafening silence on the movement.

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After a long wait, finally, Karan Johar commented on the movement and spoke at length about #MeToo, an epidemic that has visibly shaken Bollywood. During his radio show 'Calling Karan', the filmmaker said,

"So how do you get consent? You ask for it! You have to ask, 'Are you ok with this?' or 'Do you want to do this'. It's important for people to understand both the verbal as well as the non-verbal communication they get from someone they’re with. These are the basics; basics that we often tend to forget. When you come close to someone, when you’re about to get intimate, how can you not ask for consent?" He also touched upon some of the things people do online that counts as harassment especially when it is unsolicited. "Sending someone pictures of your private parts is also not cool! Kissing someone or touching them inappropriately while they’re drunk, is not cool. Persisting with flirtatious texts, even after someone has explicitly expressed discomfort, is definitely not cool! You must respect the boundaries that others set for you, and that’s precisely what you ask for consent, and always respect the answer."

The filmmaker emphasized the concept of consent. He said, “It’s important to say YES clearly if you are okay with it, and more importantly, it’s ok to change your mind at any given point of time without feeling the need to give an explanation. If you feel uncomfortable, you can withdraw your consent and just say 'NO'”.

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He further added, “Sex minus consent equals sexual harassment! That’s the math, and it can’t be any simpler. And hence, it’s really important to keep asking the question, and always respect the answer.”