Shweta Prasad, the lady who acted in the award-winning Makdee and followed it up with memorable performances in Iqbal and some television series, who was accused of engaging in prostitution has been acquitted by the Metropolitan Sessions Court, Nampally, Hyderabad. All cases have been withdrawn. The actress has, instead of being quiet at the treatment meted out to her, has chosen to write an open letter to the Indian media.
After what Times of India did to Deepika Padukone and the way our women are being treated in general in India – this was definitely needed.
6 reasons why we think this was needed for the leading media houses who think they are bigger than the people of the country.
1. Prostitution tag – Trial by media
Image source: Copyright free images from Google under Creative Commons License
While every media house was in a rush to be the first to ‘break’ the news in a quest for more clicks and likes and traffic for their own website, many forgot to put the simple ‘alleged’ word in the reports. This directly states that the person accused is innocent until proven guilty. But before the trial court or the sessions court could look at the facts or even before the cops could provide the facts, the media had branded Shweta a prostitute. See some of the lines from major websites below:
2. Supposed ‘arrest’
Image source: Copyright free images from Google under Creative Commons License
The actress writes that she was never arrested but was detained while the Hyderabad police was investigating the alleged crime. She states that she was kept in Prajwala Rescue Home in Mehboob Nagar on the outskirts of Hyderabad. She was detained there for 59-and-a-half days where she had to remain within the premises but could interact with the other inmates. She says, “It is a hostel for kids who are victims of human trafficking, etc. I volunteered as a teacher there and taught the kids Hindi, English and Hindustani classical music. I used my two months in there very productively.”
Quotes from her letter:
“Although I had a lovely time there teaching kids Hindi, English and Hindustani Classical vocals. I always do and I always will count those children in my prayers. I also read 12 books in those 2 months. Yes 12. Spent my time very productively.”
3. False ‘statement’
The media published the following supposed statement, attributing it to Shweta Prasad.
“I have made wrong choices in my career, and I was out of money. I had to support my family and some other good causes. All doors were closed, and some people encouraged me to get into prostitution to earn money. I was helpless, and with no option left to choose, I got involved in this act. I’m not the only one who faced this problem, and there are several other heroines who have gone through this phase.”
She raises a simple but pertinent question. If she was detained immediately after she was accused, her phone was seized, no access to email provided, no interview done with anyone, how did she give this statement? Even the Hyderabad police has said that no such statement was released to the media. Are these media houses or fiction writing companies?
Quotes from her letter:
“After my detainment, I went straight to the rescue home where I stayed for 59 and a half days. (60th day, I came home), then where and how did I give a statement to media? My phone was confiscated, I made few last calls to Maa and few other close friends. I had absolutely no access to newspapers, television, internet or radio for those 2 months.”
4. Businessmen ‘clients’
Shweta implies in the letter that there were no others in the hotel room when she was detained. She says that that is the reason why the reports said that she was involved with various unnamed businessmen, without verifying the facts that there were nobody else in the room at that time. We feel that even if there had been someone else in the room, the media had no damn right to publish her name or their names until anything could be proven in a court of law.
Quotes from her letter:
“And who are these business men in my life? I am just as curious as all of you!
So, here is the riddle: Why were the business men names who were caught ‘along with me’ not revealed?
Clue: Were there any business men with me in that room at the time of detainment in the first place?”
5. Indians have no respect for the media anymore
Shweta starts the letter with how she looked up to the media and hence did her own graduation in Mass Media and Journalism.
Quotes from her letter:
“Dear,
Members of Media,
I grew up admiring some great journalists and reporters who, some times report even live from war-torn borders, natural disaster sites, terror attacked locations, etc. without hesitating a bit. These heroes inspired me to pursue my degree in Mass Media and Journalism degree too. I always thought, ‘wow! These guys, the media, actually risk their lives to bring us the truth’. And boom! You create a mess in my very life. Well done.”
6. Even if everything HAD been true…
Suppose, just suppose, that everything that the media said had been true.
What right do they have of tarnishing a person’s reputation?
If the same thing had happened to a loved one of a journalist, would they have tried to keep their name private until proven or go shout from the rooftops?
Why the double standards of revealing the name of the woman involved but not the men involved?
Why the lack of ANY journalistic integrity in not even including the term ‘alleged’ to refer to a case that has not yet been proven?
Can we at least provide her the dignity of letting her live in peace instead of calling her on the next edition of Bigg Boss for some more TRPs?
The full transcript of the letter can be found below:
Dear,
Members of Media,
I grew up admiring some great journalists and reporters who, some times report even live from war-torn borders, natural disaster sites, terror attacked locations, etc. without hesitating a bit. These heroes inspired me to pursue my degree in Mass Media and Journalism degree too. I always thought, ‘wow! These guys, the media, actually risk their lives to bring us the truth’. And boom! You create a mess in my very life. Well done.
I understand that everything was a chain of reaction and versions of the incident with several mis-leading stories were picked up along with my………..wait, NOT MY ‘statement!’, which said:
“I have made wrong choices in my career, and I was out of money. I had to support my family and some other good causes. All doors were closed, and some people encouraged me to get into prostitution to earn money. I was helpless, and with no option left to choose, I got involved in this act. I’m not the only one who faced this problem, and there are several other heroines who have gone through this phase”
Seriously?? Whoever you are, who imagined this statement, were you smoking funny cigarettes at work? Who talks like that? This sounds like a dialogue from some 80’s Bollywood film. And why so many ‘and’ in that statement, go back to school amateur!
Thankfully my family, my friends and my circle of people didn’t believe this statement. They know I do not speak like that. But, for the rest of India or anyone, anywhere on planet, for the last time : THIS IS NOT MY STATEMENT!
The problem with our society is, as long as I was given sympathy and everyone went ‘awwww’, ‘poor girl’, ‘so sad’ and so on, everybody was supporting me. But, as soon as people understand that they got carried away by a false statement and a girl of 23 can be strong and can stand on her own feet without any sympathies, the society feels that she is lying?? What’s my fault if the news were the way they were? I cannot force anyone to like or respect me. These happen naturally. What happened was beyond my control.
After my detainment, I went straight to the rescue home where I stayed for 59 and a half days. (60th day, I came home), then where and how did I give a statement to media? My phone was confiscated, I made few last calls to Maa and few other close friends. I had absolutely no access to newspapers, television, internet or radio for those 2 months. I had no clue what was going on outside Prajwala rescue home, Mehboob Nagar (outskirts of Hyderabad). Although I had a lovely time there teaching kids Hindi, English and Hindustani Classical vocals. I always do and I always will count those children in my prayers. I also read 12 books in those 2 months. Yes 12. Spent my time very productively.
But, after I came back home in Mumbai on 30th October 2014, I came across all the reports that had been around for those 2 months when I was absent and I was more amused than disappointed!
A report also said that ‘the cops’ said I gave that ‘statement’, which was denied by the Police in Hyderabad when I confronted them. One of the Police said, that no press notes were released by the department of Police, Hyderabad, of any such statement made by me. And anyway, Police is not allowed to reveal identity in such cases, so it was not possible by them to reveal any such statement. It’s against the law. And how could they, firstly this statement does not exist. I was absent in the scene and that was an advantage for it to do the rounds.
And who are these business men in my life? I am just as curious as all of you!
So, here is the riddle: Why were the business men names who were caught ‘along with me’ not revealed?
Clue: Were there any business men with me in that room at the time of detainment in the first place?
Think Think.
PROVE IT!
I was in Hyderabad for Santhosham Awards, which was conducted on 30th August. I was never encouraged to get into commercial sex and no agent booked my tickets and stay there! My tickets and accommodation was done by the award event organizers. The hotel where I stayed with other guests of the award ceremony was a hospitality partner with the event. I still have the itinerary in my email inbox.
My parents did not want me to act after Iqbal (2005). My parents’ bigger concern was me passing my 10th and 12th grade properly and not jumping into movies at 16! We don’t dine at Wasabi every other weekend but that doesn’t mean my parents have not done enough to bring me up well. I had the best possible education, birthday gifts, family vacations, Sports clubs for playing a sport and enrollment at Music Institute for learning music (I learn The Sitar from Sangit Mahabharati, Juhu, Mumbai), everything that a normal upper-middle class parents can do.
I did few south films (Telugu and Tamil) when I was about 18 and then past 3 and half years I had been busy making a documentary film called Roots on Indian Classical music, starring interviews of Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, Pt Shiv Kumar Sharma, Shubha Mudgal, A R Rahman, Vishal Bhardwaj, Dr L Subramaniam, Pt Hari Prasad Chaurasia to name a few. In fact, in June 2014 along with a friend, Adhiraj Bose I also co-produced and acted in a 12 minute short film named INT. CAFÉ NIGHT that starred myself along with Shernaz Patel, Naseeruddin Shah and Naveen Kasturia, which is doing rounds of film festivals right now. I have been auditioning for acting assignments as well. So what ‘doors’ were closed? Please get your facts right before jumping into conclusions!
However, on 5th December 2014 the Metropolitan Sessions Court, Nampally, Hyderabad, gave me clean chit in the case and withdrew the charges and stay order against me made by the trial court.To all those who supported me through out all this, thank you so much, extending a big hug to all of you.
Anyway, enough said, enough heard. I have completely gone past the whole incident and I overlook everyone who picked up false statement(s) and encouraged mis-leading stories without verifying it’s authenticity. I overlook, because this episode does not deserve any more attention!
-Shweta Basu Prasad
6/12/2014
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