A woman accuses her boss of sexual harassment at her posh work-place. All hell breaks loose... Sounds familiar? That was the theme of Sudhir Mishra’s Inkaar released at the beginning of this year where ‘boss’ Arjun Rampal stands accused by protégée-employee Chitrangda.
The film seems to eerily pre-empt the current Tarun Tejpal incident. The producers of Inkaar, Viacom 18 are considering re-releasing their film. Says director Sudhir Mishra, “They should release it again. I’d be glad if they do. Arjun Rampal’s character is almost like a replica of Tarun Tejpal.Except that Arjun’s atonement after he admits to the crime of sexual harassment is not a six-month sabbatical. Arjun leaves everything, his career ambitions wealth and power, behind for good.”
The issue of sexual harassment shown in the film raised many hackles when it was released.
Recalls Sudhir, “I had many executives from ad agencies telling me they don’t behave ‘that’ way.
But it’s about time we stopped looking at specific work-places as exempted from that feudal mentality which has come from the villages into the cities. Women are susceptible to unwanted male attention everywhere. And God help the working woman if she is ambitious.”
Uncannily, the alleged victim of sexual harassment in Inkaar had her complaint looked into by a committee. Says Sudhir, “If you look at the situation today regarding Tarun Tejpal it is very similar to my film.Whether it is the world of advertisement or journalism, men need to confront their demons. Why are ambitious women regarded as convenient targets for harassment? Why should a woman’s ambitions be held against her?”
Sudhir feels his film’s complexities regarding gender equations was mis-read. “Inkaar was deliberately misunderstood by many critics who felt uncomfortable asking themselves questions about gender discrimination in their work place. In the end when Arjun confesses his love to Chitrangda she doesn’t forgive him. She simply walks away without saying anything. I believe when a woman is violated emotionally or physically it is no different from the feudal mentality in the villages. We may think we are more sophisticated in our attitude to women in the cities. But the truth is, we are as feudal in the cities as in the villages.”
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