Jamshed Jami is the leading and often lone voice against sexual harassment in Pakistani entertainment industry that unlike Hollywood and Bollywood has not witnessed a movement like #Metoo. And not just in words, at the Lahooti Mela in 2019, he read a letter detailing rape allegations against an actor by an anonymous female artist. Keeping the attackers’ identity anonymous, the letter details how the man who is much older and more powerful abused his position and continues to do so while remaining protected due to his status in the industry.
“The people to whom this concerns, by now, must have figured his name out by the details I provided above,” the letter reads.
Jami had obtained the letter from a Lahooti Mela organizer, who later resigned. By reading the letter Jami was exposing the ugly truth that lurks behind the bright lights of the showbiz world. Now he is being sued by another filmmaker for his efforts. Actor Sohail Jawed took exception at Jami for reading the letter at a public forum and is taking the ‘Moor’ director to court.
What happens next is for the courts to decide but Jami has always been a strong advocate against sexual harassment in the entertainment industry. In February he announced that his production company Azad Films will no longer work with someone who supports those accused of sexual harassment.
As the young woman so aptly puts, until people stop protecting predators within their ranks the rot in the system cannot be arrested.
“It is upon them to show their integrity, exclude sexual predators like him from their social circles and discourage this behaviour by not subscribing to their art again, or they can go back to work on their current moral grounds which continues to take and damage countless young lives. Many people in the industry know and still, continue to work with him. I wonder if our society is mature enough to hold them all accountable for this disease their favourite celebrities and people in power, allow to spread? I am not sure.”
Jami told Pakistan Today that he has “full faith in the justice system”, adding that “he believes the truth shall prevail”.
“The people to whom this concerns, by now, must have figured his name out by the details I provided above,” the letter reads.
Jami had obtained the letter from a Lahooti Mela organizer, who later resigned. By reading the letter Jami was exposing the ugly truth that lurks behind the bright lights of the showbiz world. Now he is being sued by another filmmaker for his efforts. Actor Sohail Jawed took exception at Jami for reading the letter at a public forum and is taking the ‘Moor’ director to court.
What happens next is for the courts to decide but Jami has always been a strong advocate against sexual harassment in the entertainment industry. In February he announced that his production company Azad Films will no longer work with someone who supports those accused of sexual harassment.
As the young woman so aptly puts, until people stop protecting predators within their ranks the rot in the system cannot be arrested.
“It is upon them to show their integrity, exclude sexual predators like him from their social circles and discourage this behaviour by not subscribing to their art again, or they can go back to work on their current moral grounds which continues to take and damage countless young lives. Many people in the industry know and still, continue to work with him. I wonder if our society is mature enough to hold them all accountable for this disease their favourite celebrities and people in power, allow to spread? I am not sure.”
Jami told Pakistan Today that he has “full faith in the justice system”, adding that “he believes the truth shall prevail”.