Exclusive: #MeToo Moment has brought Bollywood to a Standstill, Projects in Limbo
The #MeToo moment is being hailed as a powerful moment that will course correct the world for professionals all over the world. However, while that might take time, it has succeeded in bringing Bollywood to a standstill. Every other day, males from high positions are being shuffled about like cards of a deck, and being kicked out of projects.
While that might salvage the project, there are some projects that might never see the light of the day because of the names attached to them. A producer of a film that’s yet to be released, but is completed and ready for release is ruing the day he approached a well known and outspoken director to direct his film. The producers were supposed to go all out and begin promotions of the film, just days before the director was hit with sexual harassment charges.
Our sources say that the producers were planning to approach the big streaming platforms for a streaming release, but they have now developed cold feet, gauging that every conversation about the film will somehow veer towards the director, who hasn’t done anything of note since the past few years. With rumors of Fox Star sacking Mukesh Chhabra over allegations of sexual harassment, it didn’t seem a viable proposition. There’s no saying how much money is stuck in the project, but trade pundits put the amount to about 15 to 20 crores, including P&A.
This is just tip of the ice-berg. Soon, there will be news about several other films that were ready to be released but the #MeToo movement has stopped all work on them.