Raveena Tandon says no to TVF following Anurabh Kumar’s sexual harassment case

Raveena Tandon is back as the main lead after a long time with director Ashtar Sayed’s Maatr —The Mother. The actress was all set to promote her film on popular digital channel The Viral Fever (TVF). However, following sexual harassment allegations against its founder, Anurabh Kumar, she has cancelled the plans. Ironically, the film deals with the issue of sexual harassment and violence against women. 

In an official statement, Tandon has cited the reasons in detail. “I was not aware of the controversy as I was in New York and in the middle of a snow storm. Our film deals with a very strong message about zero tolerance to any form of violence or abuse against women. The film’s producers and actors feel that until allegations against the producer and the channel are proved wrong, we will refrain from promoting the film or any of the actors appearing on the said show,” she said. 

Co-producer Anjum Rizvi states that they are being extra cautious due to the subject of the film. “Raveena’s character is a working woman. Our film has been inspired by incidents which are happening in India today. Right now, we felt we should not get into it, so we have opted out of the TVF show. It’s a sensitive issue and we have to handle everything with care and not use whatever tools and means available. We need to be careful of how we promote the film,” he said. 

Talking about the film and Tandon's dedication, he added, “Raveena is a vocal personality and doesn’t mince her words. She is also involved in every aspect of the film as the subject is very close to her heart. As filmmakers, we can raise issues, though we can’t come up with solutions. We are just highlighting the issue, but talks about whether women should or should not take the law into their hands and how long they should wait for justice to be meted out.” 

The first look poster of Maatr — The Mother was released recently and the film will hit screens on 21 April.