An year old #MeToo Campaign gained traction internationally and now has reached India and the nation is boiling with a new sexual harassment story uncovering everyday especially stories from Bollywood. In the patriarchal society, allegations against men in power are frequently not taken seriously by the authorities and, if they make it to the court, intimidation of victims and coercion of witnesses are a common news. The year-old #MeToo campaign has long failed to take root in India, but Bollywood actress Tanushree Dutta’s accusation of sexual harassment against veteran actor Nana Patekar appeared to be emboldening women to speak out at last. As the movement gathered more stream, females of the industry are coming forward exposing more prominent names. Here are the names of Bollywood stars who have been accused of Sexual Assault through #MeToo Campaign in India
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1. Nana Patekar
Veteran actor Nana Paterkar has been accused of sexual harassment by the ‘Ashiq Banaya Aapne’ actress, Tanushree Dutta. According to Tanushree, it all started 10 years back during the shoot of the movie ‘Horn Ok Pleasss’. Tanushree Dutta shared about Nana’s inappropriate behaviour on the film set of ‘Horn Ok Pleasss’. However, Nana has consistently denied from all the accusations against him and also cancelled the press conference which he had planned, to address the sexual assault allegations levelled against him. Nana’s son Malhar informed the media about the cancellation of the press conference. The actor has stepped down from the ‘Housefull 4’ movie, supposedly, due to the ongoing charges against him.
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2. Rajat Kapoor
Actor Rajat Kapoor has been called out for alleged sexual assault on Twitter with two women accusing him of inappropriate behaviour. A journalist shared details of a telephonic interview in which Rajat allegedly asked her if she was “As sexy as she sounds” and “tell me your vital stats”. In reaction to this, Rajat Kapoor posted an apology on Twitter.
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3. Vivek Agnihotri
Film Director, Vivek Agnihotri, has also been accused of sexual harassment by the 34-year old ‘Dhol’ actress, Tanushree Dutta. She alleged that Vivek behaved inappropriately towards her while shooting a movie in the year 2005. Vivek’s lawyer denied the “frivolous” claims. The legal battle against him and Nana Patekar has already been initiated by Tanushree.
4. Vikas Bahl
Director Vikas Bahl has been accused of sexual assault by actress Kangana Ranaut. In the year 2014, Vikas Bahl directed Kangana’s film touching on female empowerment, that is , “Queen”. Kangana said that the director would “bury his face in my neck and hold me really tight”. Vikas was also accused of sexual misconduct at a 2015 Phantom Films party in Goa and after that incident, it was announced within a week that Phantom Films which was co-owned by Vikas Bahl along with Anurag Kashyap, Vikramaditya Motwane and Madhu Mantena, was dissolved over the allegations against Vikas.
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5. Alok Nath
Actor Alok Nath is at number 5 in our list as he is also alleged of sexual assault by Vinta Nanda, a veteran writer-producer of the Avant-Garde 1990’s show “Tara” frame. Alok Nath who is known for his “Sanskaari” on-screen image was being accused of sexually violating Vinta almost two decades ago. In reaction to the allegations against him, Alok Nath replied, “I am neither denying nor admitting to this. It (rape) must have happened, but the culprit must be somebody else. I do not want to talk much about it because that would mean stretching the issue.”
For decades, employers have failed to ensure workplaces are safe for women, as they are meant to by law. But the #MeToo movement has given women the confidence to speak out, with more coming out everyday!
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