NEW DELHI: What started as an  exposé on the predatory behaviour of Hollywood film mogul Harvey Weinstein became a global movement as women took to social media to share their experiences of being sexually harassed with the hashtag 'Me Too'. The movement took the world by storm, with the hashtag acquiring different forms and meanings in different places; but the essence of the stories being told held a common note – of men in positions of power or trust, wielding their influence to take advantage of women and, in some cases, other men.

The movement highlighted how the culture of silence and complicity perpetuated a highly toxic and exploitative system where victims of molestation were afraid to come forward. ‘Me Too’ not only encouraged women to break this vice of silence, it also helped them heal and overcome.

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Now, Taproot dentsu and women’s lifestyle community iDiva have come together to pay ode to the #MeToo movement through a powerful film that puts the spotlight on the conundrum of reporting abuse.

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The digital film titled Nip in the Bud shows an aspiring young woman, fresh out of college, going to meet a powerful tycoon. Her interactions with him quickly go awry as he intrudes into her personal space. The young woman initially gives him the benefit of doubt – perhaps he was treating her like his daughter. Until he crosses the line of propriety and begins to touch her inappropriately in earnest. When she puts a stop to this and attempts to leave, much to her dismay, he threatens that she would not make a career with this kind of attitude. The young woman goes into a café and tweets about the horrible experience. Here’s where the story takes a turn. Her tweet is read by a woman, who realises with horror that it was the same man who abused her years ago. In the end, the camera pans to show a photograph on the mantle where we see that the two women happen to be mother and daughter.

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Taproot Dentsu Gurgaon creative head Titus Upputuru said about the film: “It wasn’t an easy subject. One had to keep in mind the sensitivities involved. What happens between a man and a woman within the confines of a professional environment is between them. There are no witnesses. There are no cameras. Nip in the Bud is a tribute to every single woman who had the courage to speak about what happened in a moment where there was no one to corroborate the story.”

Upputuru, who is also the writer and director of this riveting film, went on to say: “Unfortunately, many women took years to report and this allowed the men concerned to continue with the predatory behaviour. Hope this digital film inspires women across the world to nip it in the bud.”

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