'Have called off a kiss or intimate scene if co-star was uncomfortable,' says Emraan Hashmi

Reflecting on the ongoing #MeToo movement in India, actor Emraan Hashmi has decided to incorporate 'practical clauses' adhering to the Sexual Harassment of Women at Workplace (Prevention, Prohibition & Redressal) Act, 2013 in all future contracts signed under his production house, Emraan Hashmi Films.

The #MeToo movement was flagged off in India by Emraan’s Aashiq Banaya Aapne co-star Tanushree Dutta, who has leveled sexual harassment allegations against veteran actor Nana Patekar. She has also accused filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri of harassing her on the sets the 2005 film Chocolate — Emraan was one of her co-stars in the film, alongside Anil Kapoor, Irrfan Khan, Suneil Shetty and Sushma Reddy. 

“I usually discuss the intimate scenes with co-stars in conjunction with the director to ensure transparency and comfort. There have been times when we have called off a kiss, an intimate scene, or an uncomfortable dance move if my co-stars were not comfortable,” Emraan said. 

Emraan’s production house has partnered with T-Series and Ellipsis Entertainment on the Soumik Sen-directed film Cheat India, which releases on January 25, 2019. 

For all home-productions made after Cheat India, Emraan has promised to introduce ‘strict guidelines’ and ‘a clear-cut code’ in production agreements to act as a deterrent for harassers and encourage appropriate behavior in the workplace.

“Men need to be more cautious and sensitive, they need to get their act together. Women have found a voice and platform to be heard. Nothing remains or should remain behind closed doors anymore,” Emraan added in his statement.