More names from Bollywood make headlines as India's MeToo movement takes off; director Sajid Khan - Farah Khan's brother, and Khalnayak director Subhash Ghai have been accused of sexual harassment and rape, respectively.
Race 3 actor Saloni Chopra has alleged in a blog post that Sajid Khan sexually harassed her while she worked as his assistant in 2011.
She wrote: "He was famous for his interview questions. He asks questions like ‘do you masturbate?’ and ‘how many times a week?’… he also asked me if I’d ever been sexually abused, I said yes. Then he asked weird questions like if I would ever get a breast job, and talked about how sex is really a mental connection."
"...by the end of the interview I was in tears, and I wasn’t entirely sure why. I didn’t know if it was because I felt somewhat uncomfortable around him, or because I’d opened up too much."
The actor also said that he would call her at odd hours justifying it by saying " the industry never sleeps and work happens at all hours… except he wasn’t talking about work" and make inappropriate talk on the phone and in person.
Ungli actor Rachel White, responded to Chopra with her own story of harassment at the hands of the director, saying, "Believe you with your story. And I told you mine so that more people can believe you and stop making women look like attention seekers."
Indian journalist Karishma Upadhyay detailed two incidents where she was harassed by Sajid; once when she went to interview him in the early 2000s and another time when she was asked to work with him on MTV.
Sajid Khan, who was directing Housefull 4 has stepped down since the allegations came out and tweeted, "I must take moral responsibility of stepping down from my directorial post."
His sister Farah Khan has responded to the allegations by saying, "If my brother has behaved in this manner then has a lot to atone for."
Akshay Kumar, who is a part of the Housefull 4 cast, posted on Twitter. "I've requested the producers of Housefull 4 to cancel the shoot until further investigation.. I will not work with any proven offenders and all this who have been subjugated to harassment should be heard and given the justice they deserve."
His wife Twinkle Khanna also urged the Housefull 4 cast to take a stance against this.
In the other case, Taal director Subhash Ghai was accused of rape by a woman who says he spiked her drink and sexually assaulted her. Her story was posted by Twitter user Mahima Kukreja who has also outed AIB's former member Utsav Chakraborty for sexual harassment.
The filmmaker has denied the allegations, called them "a fashion to malign anyone".
"As I hear some allegation made against me in the air from section of media. It’s very sad that it’s becoming a fashion to malign anyone known, bringing some stories from past without any truth or half-truth, if at all. I deny strictly and firmly all false allegations like these. I will go for defamation certainly."
Good step by Akshay Kumar...
Awaiting #METOO in Pakistan eagerly.
Casting couch is the norm in the movie and show biz industry. Do let’s not act as if these are isolated incidents but rape and unconsentual encounters should not be tolerated and in most cases women are victims
Although its a very brave efforts to expose the big ones knowing the consequences. I salute to all brave ladies who has shown the guts to expose the culprit.
On the other side I also believe that all men are not rapists and all rapists are not men!
Sajid Khan is a dodgy character
When will these people go to jail
@Babu: It came and went. Misha Shafi accused Ali Zafar and all public and media strongly supported the poor family guy. After that how can you expect other women to come out and reveal something bad about a big star? Only those can come forward who are not afraid to hear abuses
They did it just because they could. Still cave men !
subhash gahi has been a known sexual predator. He has also been accused of molesting underage.
Some of these actors and directors were awarded Padmashiri (e.g. Nana Patekar) by Govt. of India. GOI and other organziations should immediately withdraw the honors and ask back the money. In USA, Yale University and American Bar Association withdrew their endorsement of Judge Kavanaugh on mere sexual allegations. Harvard University canceled his teaching assignment. Bal K. Gupta, PE, USA
It's high time Indian film industry comes out clean. Women have been exploited for a long time in show biz
Indian women well done!
Subhas ghai has a history
They deserve it. When proven guilty Put them in jail. Hang them. Takin advantage of women. Shame shame.
Also - women - please don’t compromise by trying to short cut your career. Don’t meet with these people in lonely situations or 1:1. Always have a friend with you. Always always make sure you are in safe condition. Do not give them any chance. Video tape them and put them to shame. Take the power in your hand. Stop movie production if need be. Whole population will support you.
I was a serious skeptic of this MeToo thing. But the magnitude of it is really forcing me to think otherwise, I mean, either its a global matriarchal controversy shrewd by Big read herself or its actually true.
Bitter realities of glamorous industries.
@Arif NBS This is a reality for women in all walks of life and in all countries, every other woman has gone through her #MeToo moment at some point in life, even if she has never stepped out of the house. Predators are everywhere, more common in closed societies where women have little freedom, the predators are not strangers in majority of cases, but family members whom they have to keep facing the rest of their lives. Just because some women are now speaking up about famous men does not mean it is a problem for showbiz and working women only. And it is not a trend women are following, this movement has only had the effect of giving women the confidence to speak up, and realise that they no longer have to be afraid of being shamed, they were to blame,