Prasad’s mother is worried how she will cope with life after remand home.
By Jasmine Raskoti
NEW DELHI: The Indian film industry’s dark side was exposed in the film Page 3. It was an insight into the indecent world of glamor.
It’s a well-known fact that actresses are not paid as much as their male counterparts. Acting is not a field a woman can pursue confidently with the hope of staying on top financially as well as supporting family for a long time.
And some actresses, like Shweta Basu Prasad, succumb to the greed and need of money, by selling their own flesh.
The national award winning actress Shweta, who is now in a remand home awaiting court judgment after being caught working as a prostitute at a hotel in Hyderabad, has been at the center of a fiery debate on the morals and ethics of the film industry, and while many have criticized her, she is now getting her share of supporters too.
After director Hansal Mehta came out in the open saying that he plans to give Shweta a role in his next film, to support her find her foothold back in the industry, actress Sakshi Tanwar, who has played as Shweta’s mother in a TV show, has come out strongly in support of her, and condemns society which shields the businessmen who took advantage of the actress and her dire financial situation.
Tanwar, who starred in ‘Bade Acche Lagte Hain’, started her career in another Ekta Kapoor show ‘Kahaani Ghar Ghar Kii’, in 2000. She is now one of the most well-known faces on Indian television shows.
In an open letter to DNA, Tanwar expressed her support for Prasad, writing: “Yes! I read about her because the reports are only writing about her. Had they written about her so called high profile “businessmen” clients involved, I would have read about them too”. Honestly, I’m quite disappointed that the media reports have so selectively guarded their identity and names. I have no interest in knowing about those degenerate “businessmen”, but I would have loved to see their names come to the fore so that their families – mothers, daughters, sisters and wives – and friends would get an insight into their recreational habits”.
She goes on: “I’m appalled at the way the issue has been dealt with by the media. We, the people, are so eager to pass judgments and share opinions about her on social media, but none of us have walked the hard yards in her shoes…so, do we actually have a right to judge her yet? I don’t know her reasons and problems, and I don’t know any solutions either… All I know is that she is kept in a remand home and that she has apparently given a statement accepting it. At least she has been brave enough to accept it (as per the reports)”.
Tanwar writes that she has met Shweta’s mother, who told her that the attending judge has told her that Shweta has been cheering up kids and other women in the remand home by talking about music and life. Her mother was worried also though. “What if tomorrow she finds it impossible to carry the bitter remains of her life and takes a drastic step,” she told Tanwar.
Tanwar writes: “Her mother and many other women, including me, want to know the answers to some more questions. Why has the large section of media been so selective in highlighting the girl? Why are the names and photographs of the businessmen not splashed all over, like the girl’s? Why have those men been granted the right to privacy and not the girl? Is she a soft target just because she is an actor and a public figure? Why is our moral police quiet about this? In a country where even the rapists and murderers are given the right to privacy, why has her right been violated? Why this irresponsible insensitive stand against her?”
Reports and rumors say that flesh trade is common in the Indian film industry. Rumors also are that big names are involved in the trade and if names start coming out, it could shock many fans. The industry is waiting anxiously for what is going to come out of Shweta’s mouth when she decides to open up about how she got into the prostitution racket and the people who she got involved with, and others who are doing the same as her.
1 Comment
One thing I will contend with is the greed, its not greed if you are in a desparate situation in need to support your family. All I wish is that the media would never flipped themselves out about the news on her part, but create more noise for her high profile clients instead so they could be facing the same scrutiny as well. All I hope is that she can bounce back on her feet and try to live her life peacefully, which i doubt will be achieved based on this scandal