Mukesh Khanna best known for the show Shaktimaan has sparked outrage with his comment that the #MeToo movement began because “women started thinking of themselves as equal to men.” He further said that it is the duty of women to take care of the household.
In a video interview, he is quoted as saying, “The problem of #MeToo began when women started working. Aurat ka kaam hai ghar sambhalna, jo maaf karna mein kabhi kabhi bol bhi jata hu (The job of a woman is to take care of the house). Problem kaha se shuru hui hai #MeToo ki jab aurato ne bhi kaam karna shuru kar diya (The problem of #MeToo began when women started working). Aaj aurat mard ke saath kandhe se kandha milane ki baat karti hai (Today, women talk about walking shoulder-to-shoulder with men).”
He continues, “Log women’s lib ki baat karenge, lekin main aapko bata doon, problem yahin se shuru hoti hai (People talk about women’s liberation, but let me tell you that where the problem begins). Sabse pehla jo member suffer karta hai woh ghar ka bachcha suffer karta hai, jisko maa nahi milti (The first person who suffers is the child, because he doesn’t have a mother taking care of him at home). Aaya ke saath baith kar Saas Bhi Kabhi Bahu dekh raha hota hai (He sits and watches TV with his nanny all day). Jab se shuruat hui, tab se yeh bhi shuruat hui ke main bhi wohi karungi jo mard karta hai. Nahi, mard mard hai aurat aurat hai (It all began when women started saying that they want to do what men do. No, a man is a man and a woman is a woman).” The actor also adds that he understands that in the ‘modern world’, this might not be an acceptable thing to say.
The actor’s comments attracted a lot of ire on social media.