Richa Chadha defends her decision to work with #MeToo accused Subhash Kapoor on Madam Chief Minister
Richa Chadha
Richa Chadha says she gave her nod to Madam Chief Minister as it is an empowering tale of a woman who battles casteism and sexism to carve her place in the world of politics. However, the makers got off on the wrong foot - the film’s first poster, which saw Chadha holding a broom, was widely criticised for stereotyping the Dalit community, and using the word ‘untouchable’ in the text. Soon, the team retracted the objectionable poster.
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Though she had issued an apology on January 15, the actor, talking to mid-day, says the criticism was "premature". "I understand their hatred [towards the poster], but I think the criticism was premature; the filmmakers changed the poster the very next day, as soon as they realised there has been a mistake from their end. This is a learning experience for us. Sometimes, I feel people are harder on women and actors, and I will maintain it in this case because [the umbrage] was misdirected. I was surprised that I was attacked because actors don’t control the making of posters."
Subhash Kapoor
Considering Chadha has been a fierce advocate of #MeToo India, her decision to front the Subhash Kapoor-directed movie shocked her fans. In 2014, the director was accused of sexual misconduct by Geetika Tyagi. "I came out of a court case [the defamation suit against Payal Ghosh] only a few months ago. I stand by the #MeToo movement. But at the same time, I don't believe in social media trials. Unlike other [accusations] that were brought to light on Twitter, this case is subjudice. We must respect the law of the land and the court’s verdict. Till the court passes a verdict, I won’t judge anybody," she states.