The #MeToo movement has largely focused on women who work in American film and TV. But the problem of sexual harassment and intimidation in the entertainment industry extends far beyond just Hollywood.
Romit Raj is a popular TV actor who has had both starring and reoccurring roles in a number of hit shows in India. In a new interview with the Hindustan Times, he opens up about his own #MeToo story, which happened about ten years ago while he was still building a name for himself in the entertainment industry.
“I was called in a coffee shop by a creative director, who posted pictures with some of the biggest names in the industry,” 38-year-old Raj says. “He has been quite influential. So I was happy that I would be getting an opportunity to work with him.”
Raj, who identifies as straight and says he has “no problem” with LGBTQ people, says the conversation quickly deviated from being out work to being about all the closeted gay actors and actresses in India.
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“I was expecting that he would speak nothing but work [related matters] with me, but on the contrary, he started talking about how this actor was gay or that actor was a lesbian and so on,” he recalls.
“He even mentioned a superstar’s name, one of my favorites, and said that he was bisexual, and commented that it didn’t matter if he was married.”
Raj says the man then told him that “as an actor, I should know how to jump off boundaries and be open to doing anything to get a good role.”
Things really began to feel uncomfortable when the man started getting cozy and asking Raj things like “What will happen if you limit yourself?” and “How will you grow as an actor?”
“I know you’ve come to meet me,” the man allegedly told him. “Why will I remember you? What will be your recall value if you aren’t ready to open up?”
Raj interpreted the comments as a proposition for sex, which he flatly rejected.
“I decided to let him know loud and clear,” he says. “Dealing with such things sternly when it’s happening is the best way. I have never worked with this person, but then that’s fine.”
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QueerTruth
Is this a joke?
If he thinks that qualifies as sexual harassment, he’s deluding himself. This is a huge insult to actual victims of sexual misconduct/assault
He must be desperate for media attention. I’m sad that it’s being given to him.
Franklin
He propositioned him. How are you not seeing this?
armandov
I agree. This was meaningless. Maybe a bit provocative but nothing. Especially when you compare it to things that I and other gay men (and women) have dealt with. I worked at a major studio in Hollywood and had an obnoxious (and very unattractive) V.P. tell me I needed to “suck his dick” or he would get me fired. I refused and he did indeed get me fired b/c I was a low-level assistant and didn’t do as he pleased. I never reported it to HR b/c I knew nothing would be done about it.
Rock-N-RollHS
yeah, he propositioned him, big deal. Please. Love the have “no problem” with LGBT peeps.
QueerTruth
Franklyn,
Yeah, it’s may be sketchy but it’s way way way too vague. No threat. No violence. No touching. Barely an insinuation. I mean if that’s all he has- sorry, grow up. Besides, if he is so sure of what happened and is disgusted by it- name him. But he doesn’t. So I say shut up then. There are real victims here and you’re not one of them
batesmotel
I know some are saying that this doesn’t qualify as sexual harassment, even though he was propositioned. The majority of #MeToo accusers were simply propositioned inappropriately as well. So if you say he’s deluded, then you have to say that many of those other accusers were deluded as well too. They were just inappropriately propositioned as well too. Yes, some were raped, but that’s a much smaller number than those misusing the #MeToo hashtag.
Tony1129
You sound like Donald Trump, another jerkwad who can’t read the writing on the wall. He didn’t need media attention asshole he was speaking his truth.
What’s really an insult is people like you who automatically blame the victim.
PinkoOfTheGange
Sounds like some one understands plausible deniability as it applies to the Casting Couch.
Johndoes
Sounds like she’s trying to stay relevant.
Tony1129
And here you are…..smh.
glennmcbride
It sound like he thought he was being propositioned but there was no direct comment made. He may be one of those people who starts insulting people when he THINKS someone is hot for him.
SnakeyJ
LOL Hardly a story. Even less so considering no one knows who he is. And please, PLEASE stop using the term “identifies as.” He IS straight. How people “identify” is ridiculous. I might have to stop reading Queerty if this nonsense continues.
Kangol
Millions of people know who he is. They’re just not in the US.
startenout
Actually, it’s called sexual identity for a reason because for many, many people it is fluid and changes over time; they may be one thing now and another later or only sometimes. Things that I AM or he/she IS are intrinsic like race (I AM black; born that way. Not gonna change); or gender (whether it be cis or trans or any other). Hope that helps to clear things up.
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
Never heard of him…. Maybe he should have gone for it!
Rock-N-RollHS
Lol. why not. Fluid is the new black.
startenout
Maybe you missed the part where he’s a big name in India. You know in the veeeeeery beginning of the article. You not knowing who he is doesn’t make him irrelevant, but does show you straining for your own sense of purpose.
jjose712
To be fair there are several Me too stories that are similar.
In the Me too movement are terrible cases of rape and blackmail and some others that are truly ridiculous
erik24
The #metoo element isn’t the proposition. It’s that it was tied to him getting job offers or not.
OzJosh
Why is Queerty even re-publishing this non-story? Even on the basis of what Raj says there was no sexual harassment and not enough of a clear indication of a casting couch scenario. At the most there was the hint of a proposition – something any adult male should be capable of batting off. Or is Queerty now siding with delicate hetero males who feel they have a right to be offended if a guy comes on to them? Raj may say that he’s fine with LGBT people, but his hypersensitivity (especially for one in the entertainment industry) is strongly suggestive of homophobia.
Lovelife
I had an experience with an ex boss. He would invite me to a private meeting and start talking about this females bum or this coworker’s short skirt etc. Now I don’t have anything against the STRAIGHT community. But I just felt really uncomfortable throughout the meeting… 🙁
Dymension
Proposition is not assault or harassment. Now, if the propositioning happens regularly, particularly at work and they don’t get the picture, then it’s harassment. For assault there has to be some physical touching.
Greg
He’s just pointing out that when a situation comes up where somebody brings up doing something more for their career, if they aren’t up for it, they have to stop it right there. Don’t go along with it and then years later, claim they were sexually assaulted, and they were afraid not to do it. But they got the part.