While the Hindi film industry remains split down the middle over taking sides in the case of actress Tanushree Dutta's allegations, support has been arriving for the actress from all quarters. Love Sonia (2018) actress Freida Pinto is the latest film personality to offer support to Dutta. The actress posted a supportive message on her Instagram page saying that she does not need to know Dutta personally 'in order to corroborate her story'.
Putting up an image that simply read 'I believe Tanushree Dutta', Pinto followed it up by a long post that read, 'Today, I interrupt my feed for a bit from all the fashion week poses to stand by what I truly Believe. I Believe Tanushree Dutta!'
The actress added, "I don't need to know her personally, neither have been present on that horrendous day she got bullied, abused both sexually and psychologically, intimidated and shut down inorder to corroborate her story. However, I do know what Truth, Hurt and Abuse sounds like. The same way millions of people in the world know that Dr. Christine Blasey- Ford is NOT a Liar or an attention seeking, tantrum throwing overgrown child."
Pinto was referring to the ongoing senate judicial hearings in the United States of Brett Kavanaugh, accused of raping Dr Christine Blasey Ford back in the 1980s.
Comparing the similar long delayed revelations of Ford and Dutta's cases, Pinto added, "Also, even if someone speaks up (and in Tanushree's case- speaks up AGAIN) 10 years later, it doesn't dilute or nullify a factual, verified, double verified truth. Her story is not a carton of milk that expires after a few days, ready to be discarded. So trolls : please do what you do best but it is not going to change the Truth."
There have been several questions raised over the timing of Dutta's revelations, despite her constant assurances that she had spoken up 10 years ago as well.
While the support is forthcoming, there have also been questions about the silences among the industry's superstars. Amitabh Bachchan came under a lot of flak for avoiding the question about Dutta's allegations when it was posed to him at the Thugs Of Hindostan trailer launch. However, Pinto believes it is time the country stopped expecting its superstars to speak up.
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"India - Stand Up, Speak Up. Don't look to just your superstars to speak up. Be your own role models and follow the voice of your conscience. Follow the truth and stand by a woman's right to be her own wind keeper. You may just end up setting an example for many others who probably need your grit and courage to speak up," Pinto further wrote.
She was last seen in the Tabrez Noorani's drama, Love Sonia (2018), which released earlier this month. The actress will also be seen in Andy Serkis' Mowgli, that is based on Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book.