AR Rahman on #MeToo: Be Careful in Creating a New Internet Justice System

In the wake of #MeToo movement, a number of celebrities have come forward showing their support for the victims. Joining them is Academy Award-winning music composer AR Rahman.

On Monday, Rahman took to Twitter and wrote, “Been observing the #metoo movement… Some of the names have shocked me... both the victims and their perpetrators… I would love to see our industry become cleaner and respectful of women… More power to all the victims coming forward!!”

Stating that Rahman and his team aim to create a safer environment for women, he further added, "In all my endeavours, my team and I are committed to creating an environment where everyone finds a safe creative space to bring their best, evolve and succeed.”

His statement comes weeks after Padma Bhushan lyricist Vairamuthu was accused of sexual misconduct by multiple women, including popular singer Chinmayi.

Although he supports the movement and its victims, he cautions about the probable misuse of social media. “Social media offers great freedom for victims to speak up, however, we should be careful in creating a new internet justice system, in case it’s misused,” he added.

Earlier this month, journalist Sandhya Menon posted screenshots of an unnamed accuser about how Vairamuthu assaulted a woman. A day later, singer Chinmayi Sripaada also claimed that the Tamil lyricist harassed her. Sharing a detailed account on Twitter, she alleged that the incident dates back to 2005 or 2006.

While sharing a video on Twitter, the lyricist has denied all the allegations. "Allegations levelled against me are totally false, motivated. None should decide if I am a good or a bad person. Let the court decide. I will bow to the court's verdict," he said.