Filmmaker Shazia Iqbal asks MAMI to clear stance on film selection, #MeToo

The production designer-turned filmmaker is unhappy that her short was rejected as it has been produced by Anurag Kashyap

October 20, 2018 11:34 pm | Updated October 23, 2018 09:28 am IST - Mumbai

Shazia Iqbal

Shazia Iqbal

Filmmaker Shazia Iqbal has questioned the basis on which some films have been dropped from the Jio MAMI 20th Mumbai Film Festival with Star (colloquially known as MAMI), that begins on October 25, citing the films’ association with alleged sexual harassers.

Ms. Iqbal’s own short film Bebaak, which had Anurag Kashyap as one of its producers, was originally part of the festival programme, but has now been dropped by the organisers. Mr. Kashyap had been a MAMI board member, but voluntarily stepped down on October 10 after the dissolution of Phantom Films which followed allegations of sexual assault levelled against Phantom co-owner and director Vikas Bahl.

In a post on medium.com uploaded on Saturday, Ms. Iqbal has pointed out that Beatriz Seigner’s Los Silencios remains on the festival line-up, although it credits Mr. Kashyap as one of the producers. Ms. Iqbal also refers to Nagraj Manjule, whose An Essay of the Rain is part of the festival, as having been accused of domestic violence.

Swift action

The MAMI academy had taken a stern stance on #MeToo revelations in Bollywood and swiftly dropped AIB production’s Chintu Ka Birthday directed by Satyanshu and Devanshu Singh and Rajat Kapoor’s Kadakh from its line-up. The statement issued at the time, said: “We as an Academy (MAMI) strongly support the #MeToo movement. In light of recent developments, we have decided to drop the following films from our line-up – AIB’s Chintu Ka Birthday and Rajat Kapoor’s Kadakh . We want to use this opportunity to open up the conversation and find solutions to harassment and sexual misconduct in the workplace. Starting with this edition of the festival, we would like to unite the community to find positive and constructive ways to deal with it.”

Two AIB members, Tanmay Bhatt and Gursimran Khamba, have been embroiled in #MeToo allegations while there have been charges of sexual misconduct against Mr. Kapoor. Subsequently, more films have been dropped by MAMI. These include two other shorts — Atul Mongia’s Awake produced by Vikramaditya Motwane and Kanu Behl’s Binnu Ka Sapna produced by Chintan Ruparel of Terribly Tiny Tales, Ms. Iqbal has noted. Filmmaker Mr. Motwane was also a Phantom co-owner and Mr. Ruparel has allegations of sexual misconduct against him.

Ms. Iqbal’s statement adds, “When Hollywood started the #MeToo movement and Kevin Spacey was found guilty of assaulting Anthony Rapp, years ago, Netflix replaced him in The House of Cards. Only him. Spacey was also replaced in Ridley Scott’s All The Money In The World. But the show/film wasn’t cancelled. Please tell me which filmmaker/actor in Hollywood or any other film industry has been punished because they are guilty by association,” Iqbal has argued in her post.

Inconsistent stand

In the light of the stern action taken by MAMI, Ms. Iqbal has questioned the inclusion of films like Lars Von Trier’s The House That Jack Built. Singer-actor Bjork had accused Von Trier of sexual harassment during the shoot of the 2000 film Dancer In The Dark . The film’s inclusion at the Cannes Film Festival earlier this year had also come up for heated debate.

“As I see and know of the industry, if every film is to be dropped because a cast or crew member is remotely in any association with an accused… no film will play here. I hope no one at MAMI is naïve to believe otherwise,” states Ms. Iqbal. She also points at the irony of MAMI’s partnership with Oxfam for the gender equality award. Oxfam had been rocked with sexual misconduct allegations against its workers in Haiti in 2011, which led to actor Minnie Driver stepping down as Oxfam ambassador.

“To apply your very fair analogy, if you still decided to drop my short film for my association with Anurag... shouldn’t you also dissolve the board itself,” she asks, “Why don’t you take that moral responsibility and shut yourself down for previously being associated with those who you believe have been complicit?”

Ms. Iqbal has also alleged in the post that at least two MAMI board members were in the know-how of an actress being harassed during audition by a director (already accused publicly). “I was personally told by this actress that your Board members did nothing despite being from a big film family,” she stated, “… So does MAMI agree to dissolve its board to stand in solidarity with the movement since their own board members are complicit? Or is this only applicable to filmmakers?”

In a response to Ms. Iqbal’s post which was subsequently shared with FirstPost , MAMI replied to the news website, “It is a tough time for the film industry and our hearts go out to the filmmakers whom we may have disappointed by our decision to not screen their films at this edition. However, at MAMI we are in solidarity with #MeToo, and we stand by our decision because there is a larger movement that has begun. We request understanding from the filmmakers and the many people involved with making these films.

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