Sruthi Hariharan on sexual harassment case against Arjun Sarja: You can judge intent by the touch

After a wave of #MeToo allegations emerged from the media and entertainment industries in India, Kannada film actress Sruthi Hariharan had also come forward with her story. In an interview with Film Companion, the actress talked about MeToo and having a responsibility to drive change through her films.

On 27 October, she filed a sexual harassment case with the police against actor Arjun Sarja in Bengaluru, a week after she had named him on social media. She had claimed that the actor touched her inappropriately on the sets of a Kannada film in 2016. Sruthi said that she also approached the director and told him that she could not work like this, but no action was taken.

She was asked though the set was meant to be a safe space and the scene they were rehearsing was meant to be intimate, what made her decide that her co-actor’s gestures were wrong. Citing the lesson of ‘bad touch and ‘good touch’ taught to children, she said, “It is a very individual, personal experience, the bad touch and good touch. Intent plays a big role and it is something you can judge.”

She also said that her ongoing fight is the need of the hour and something she had to do for her future daughter. “MeToo movement has put a thought in all of our minds to have a check on ourselves. There needs to be a line drawn somewhere.”

Sruthi said that it was quite rare for women in the Kannada film industry to be vocal about their opinions.

Watch the interview here .