IFFI: Imtiaz Ali faces flak for statement on women's safety

Acclaimed filmmaker Imtiaz Ali's recent statements regarding women's safety as he was invited to speak at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) have courted controversy. The director known for films like 'Highway' and 'Jab We Met' had claimed that the industry was safe for women and also cited incidents involving lead Bollywood actors Alia Bhatt and Kareena Kapoor.

However, filmmaker and writer Vinita Nanda slammed the director's statement, maintaining that men like him should not speak on a subject they do not have the experience to discuss.
"Imtiaz Ali should stop pontificating about what women face in the entertainment industry. Naturally, a Kareena Kapoor is safe because she is privileged. And he surely must know that the casting couch exists. Why has IFFI Goa selected him to speak on behalf of women? Is it to whitewash the truth? If men like him had the courtesy to abstain from speaking on a subject they have no experience about, one will believe that change is indeed taking place,” she wrote.

Imtiaz had claimed that the Mumbai film industry was very safe for women and also shared Kareena Kapoor's experience on the sets of 'Jab We Met'. “Kareena would comfortably lie down on the set even when the crew would be adjusting light around her,” he said. He also explained how he once sent a member of the 'Highway' team away when he felt that the person was hovering around too much when she had to attend nature's call.
“We were shooting on the rural highway with Randeep and Alia and there were no proper vanity vans back in 2013. Alia had to change, go for nature’s call in different, unusual places. Once I had to send this guy back from the set when he was trying to be around her during that time. So yes, it did happen with me as a filmmaker thrice, but not anymore. Times have changed, changed drastically. Actresses are really safe on the sets. It’s not like that anymore,” Imtiaz had said. He however, later, recanted the statement on Instagram with a clarification about the incident in 'Highway' “Making a slight clarification - there was no misdemeanour on the sets of the movie Highway and nobody was sent back fromt that unit. The unit of highway was exemplary :)'.