Is #MeToo in Indian, American film industry fizzling out?

Netflix, one of the biggest production houses in the world, which claims to have zero tolerance for those accused of sexual harassment, has recently put out the prestigious 6-story omnibus Ballad Of Buster Scruggs directed by the highly rated directorial duo, the Coen Brothers.

The shocker in this otherwise-commendable omnibus is the inclusion of actor James Franco, celebrated but slurred by at least six women calling him out for sexual harassment. Hollywood had collectively decided to boycott Franco.

How and when did he get back into such a big project? Curiously, Franco’s story could have easily been edited out of the 6-story omnibus. Yet, it has been allowed to remain.

While there is no official comment from Netflix, unofficial sources say James Franco, otherwise a brilliant actor, is innocent until proven guilty. By that reasoning, Harvey Weinstein should not be ostracised either. And the brilliant Woody Allen, accused by his former wife Mia Farrow of molesting their daughter, should be getting ready to direct his 48th feature film which he apparently he is.

So is the MeToo movement dying down in American cinema? In India, Netflix sent out a signal about harassement-accused actors and technicians when they retained at least two MeToo accused in their team for Sacred Games 2.

In the big Bollywood feature film, Kizzie Aur Manny (the desi remake of The Fault In Our Stars), director Mukesh Chhabra was given marching orders. Apparently, he is now back in the project.

Says an informed source, “As a casting director, Mukesh always said this (MeToo accusations) would happen to him as there were so many girls who get rejected when they approach him for roles. And this is exactly what has happened. Shockingly the accusations against Mukesh were all made anonymously. When the alleged victims were asked to identify themselves, no one came forward. One can’t finish off someone’s career based on a Chinese whisper.”

If “innocent until proven guilty” is going to be the new modus operandi in the film industries in India and America, then why were Subhash Kapoor and Sajid Khan fired from Moghul and House Full 4, respectively?

Says an informed source, “That was entirely because of Aamir Khan and Akshay Kumar. Aamir threatened to dissociate himself from the Gulshan Kumar biopic, Moghul, and Akshay Kumar wanted Sajid Khan’s name out of House Full 4. However, Aamir can’t pretend to have not known director Subhash Kapoor’s case, as it has been going on for three years. As for Akshay, he wanted to show his solidarity with the MeToo movement.”

With James Franco being reinstated into the Coen Brothers’ film, the debate on sexual harassment in showbiz has swerved into a new bend. You are likely to see banned actors back on the screen. Now, it’s up to you to decide whether you want to see such disgraced actors.

In the meanwhile, starlet Kate Sharma, who accused disgraced showman Subhash Ghai of rape, has taken back her allegation, citing her mother’s illness.

The starlet’s withdrawal is described by one of Ghai’s former leading ladies as “a big slap in the face of the MeToo movement. Although she isn’t refuting her allegations, she is moving back and that’s a downer for the movement.”

One of the top leading ladies of Bollywood who is extremely vocal on all social issues says she completely understands Kate Sharma’s predicament. “People who have not been in such a situation won’t know what it is like to fight a long legal battle. It saps you emotionally and financially,” she says.

Be as it might, Ghai’s reputation is hardly expected to be restored by his accuser’s aborted allegations. It is unlikely that he would be able to get a cast together for his next film.

Says Ashoke Pandit, chief advisor of the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE), “That is the thing about reputations. Once tarnished, they are hard to restore. We took a very firm view of (casting director) Mukesh Chhabra’s anonymous accusations. They nearly cost him his directorial debut.”

An actress, who is a very close friend of Chhabra, says, “There is a difference between the accusations levelled at Sajid Khan or Subhash Ghai and that levelled at Mukesh Chhabra. When Mukesh’s accusers were asked to come forward and identify themselves, no one came forward. This is wrong. You can’t ruin a man’s reputation and then remain in the shadows.”