The explosive Bollywood #MeToo documentary

The #MeToo movement started in India in 2018, and several high-profile names such as Nana Patekar, Sajid Khan, and Anu Malik were mentioned.

- Shashank Nair

The Bollywood mein #MeToo: Silver Screen ki Matmali Duniya documentary, directed by filmmaker Neerat Kaur and journalist Akanksha Saxena, won the Laadli Media & Advertising Award for Gender Sensitivity in the Hindi web feature category recently. In an exclusive interview with The Free Press Journal, Neerat Kaur opened up about what has changed since the #MeToo movement and why none of the cases reached the courts. The documentary is currently streaming on the DW YouTube channel.

Q. Your film has received the Laadli Award for Gender Sensitivity. Let's start from there. How much do you think people have become aware of gender sensitivity in the last few years? What has changed?

A. I do think the conversation has shifted meaningfully. A decade ago, the term gender sensitivity itself felt niche or academic. Today, it has entered everyday vocabulary—in workplaces, in homes, even in pop culture. People are relatively more aware of boundaries, consent, safe workspaces, and what respectful behaviour looks like. But awareness does not automatically translate into accountability. We are still in a transitional phase, but implementing it consistently is a long-term cultural shift. The change has begun, but it needs sustained reinforcement, which will take time.

Q. What inspired you to choose this subject?