#MeToo | 'Wish our films didn't encourage this kind of behaviour', says Aamir Khan on 'decades of exploitation faced by women'

Aamir Khan recently appeared on Karan Johar's popular talk show, 'Koffee With Karan'. The actor and the host began the show on a heavy note as they spoke about the ongoing #MeToo movement. Aamir Khan who had earlier released a statement regarding the movement and had said that he would not associate with any person who is accused of sexual harassment spoke at length about it on the show.

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He went on to say,

''First of all, this kind of exploitation women has been facing for decades, not just films but in life. It’s really awful that any human being should be degraded in any manner or pressurized in any manner, misused in any manner or preyed upon in any manner. It’s really heartbreaking. I am glad that there’s a clean up that happening. I am glad that women are having the strength to come out and speak about it and it is sad that women have had to come out and speak about it for it to have created this environment. I wish that our films were films that did not encourage this kind of behavior.''

 

He further added that he too unintentionally had objectified women in his movies. 

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''Well a lot of societies in the world are patriarchal and India is one of them and the way we objectify women in our films, I have said it on my show Satyamev Jayate, I have done a song, Khambe Jaisi Khadi Hai, Ladki Hai Ya Chhadi hai, literally we have objectified in every sentence. So it’s awful that we have been doing that and it took me a while to realize that what I am doing is not just fun, it impacts society and its really awful. What I didn’t realise is because I am the kind of person you know each person feels that the other person is like him or her so it’s the extent of it is something I have realised as this has started coming out. There have been conversation that we have been hearing that so and so and I am shocked that this person could turn out to be like that and it never occurred to me that a person could be so predatory in nature, in my conversations with the person I don’t feel that. I also feel that the more I am listening about it, I get to know that it’s quite rampant and it’s awful and disturbing.''

Well, Aamir has taken a strong stand for the movement and against all the exposed sexual predators. 

Here's the statement that Aamir Khan along with his wife Kiran Rao had released earlier in support of the movement. 

“As creative people, we have been committed to foregrounding and finding solutions to social issues, and at Aamir Khan Productions we have always had a zero-tolerance policy towards sexual misconduct and predatory behaviour of any kind. We strongly condemn any act of sexual harassment, and equally we condemn any and all false accusations in such cases.

Two weeks ago, when traumatic #MeToo stories began emerging, it was brought to our attention that someone we were about to begin work with has been accused of sexual misconduct. Upon enquiry we found that this particular case is subjudice, and that the legal process is in motion.

We are not an investigative agency, nor are we in any position to pass judgement on anyone – that is for the police and judiciary to do. So, without casting any aspersions on anyone involved in this case, and without coming to any conclusions about these specific allegations, we have decided to step away from this film.

We do not want our action to reflect in any manner on the people involved in this case.

We believe that this is an opportunity for the film industry to introspect and take concrete steps towards change. For far too long women have faced the brunt of sexual exploitation. It has to stop. In this regard we are committed to doing any and everything to make our film industry a safe and happy one to work in.

Kiran Rao and Aamir Khan”