Renuka Shahane On Feeling 'Aghast' When Married Producer Asked Her To Live With Him For A Stipend

Renuka Shahane recalls having a disturbing encounter with a married producer, which left her, and her mother shocked.

As long as you are a woman, you will face hardships in your workplace. This statement was proven by Bollywood actress, Renuka Shahane, who is popularly known for her performances in films like Hum Aapke Hain Kaun and TV shows like Cirkus. Not only Shahane, but many more well-known Bollywood actresses have faced the same. 

Renuka Shahane, recalls her traumatic experience 

In an interview with Zoom, Renuka Shahane recalled her traumatic experience with a film producer. This producer, who was allegedly married at that time, visited her home directly to make the rather disturbing proposition. The actress was quoted as saying:

“He told me that he is married, but he asked me to become the brand ambassador of a saree company and told me that he will give me a stipend every month for living together with him. My mom and I were aghast.”

Renuka Shahane revealed that she clearly refused the advances of the unnamed film producer. However, this was not enough to stop the man. Following her refusal, the producer went to someone else with the same proposition. For women in the film industry, Shahane shares, it is simply not easy to refuse powerful people who continue to make things more difficult for those who dare to resist them. To her, that is the real ‘danger’. While it hasn’t happened to her yet, she says, there is definitely a possibility it could happen in the future.

The 59-year-old Renuka Shahane further claimed that if a victim ever complains against harassment, they often face retaliation in one form or another. They could either be removed from the project they are working on, or sometimes even harassed further, eventually leading to denied payments for their work. According to her, the film industry is a club that comes together to victimise the victim even more.

Decline of the MeToo movement, and how Raveena Tandon had faced similar experiences as her

While on the topic, Renuka Shahane further highlighted how the impact of the MeToo movement has waned over the years. Its decline has resulted in many of the accused returning to work despite various serious allegations from women in their workplace. She claims:

“The problem is that after the MeToo movement, the accused, after 5–6 years, are doing very good work after forgetting everything. And if you accuse someone and there is no back-up like a police case then people will confront you for not proving the allegation."

Alongside her own experience, Renuka Shahane also recalled how Bollywood actresses, like Raveena Tandon, also had to be extremely cautious of predators. This was especially the case during her peak years in the industry.

“Raveena was a big heroine and she came from the industry, but she had told me that during outdoor shoots, we would change rooms every day so that nobody should know which room we are staying. So they don’t come and create a problem.”

Today, her ability to speak up on behalf of herself and other female actresses in the film industry has earned her a lot of respect among fans. Additionally, her latest revelation will also give women who have faced similar harassment, be it in their workplaces or in their daily lives, the strength to come forward and call out the men who have been oppressing them.

As a Renuka Shahane fan, what are your thoughts on the disturbing revelations? Let us know.

Also read: Renuka Shahane Says Ashutosh Rana Married Her On His Spiritual Guru's Advice, 'My Mom Was Shocked..'