Individual and Collective Interventions: A Report from the Telugu Film and Media World

This article is a report and a reflection on the events and interventions in the Telugu film and media world after the 2018 #MeToo movement. It uses the conceptual frame of the “intervention” to gather together different initiatives—legal, professional and artistic—that are attempting to change the ethics and aesthetics of the film industry. It draws attention to the work of the Voice of Women (VOW) collective that is calling for systemic and concrete changes in the industry to tackle sexism and misogyny. In a different section, the article focuses on the work of actor and VOW member Jhansi, discussing, in particular, a satirical play, Tit for Tat, written and directed by her. The article concludes that the interventions being made in this particular conjuncture are without guarantees but are definitely shifting the terms of the debate even if it is slowly and slightly.