Mumbai: The model-turned-actress Payal Ghosh on Saturday made some serious allegations on filmmaker Anurag Kashyap and accused him of sexually harassing her.
Payal Ghosh’s allegations
Payal Ghosh took to her verified Twitter account to open up against Anurag Kashyap and tagged the office of the Prime Minister of India in her tweet. “@anuragkashyap72 has forced himself on me and extremely badly. @PMOIndia @narendramodi ji, kindly take action and let the country see the demon behind this creative guy. I am aware that it can harm me and my security is at risk. Pls help!,” tweeted Payal.
In a recent interview with ABN Telugu, Payal Ghosh who accused Anurag Kashyap alleged that he “forced himself” on her.
Anurag responds to Payal Ghosh allegations
Responding to her allegations, Anurag Kashyap issued a lawyer’s statement, an excerpt from which read, “It is sad that a social movement as important as the #MeToo movement has been co-opted by vested interests and reduced to a mere tool for character assassination. Fictitious allegations of this nature seriously undermine the movement and seek to consciously trade upon the pain and trauma of actual victims of sexual harassment and abuse.”
Anurag Kashyap’s ex-wives Kalki Koechlin and Aarti Bajaj defended the filmmaker after he was hit by allegations of sexual harassment. Actress Kalki Koechlin, who was married to Mr Kashyap from 2011 to 2015, and Aarti Bajaj, Mr Kashyap’s wife from 2003 to 2009, both shared supportive posts on social media.
Kalki Koechlin, Aarti Bajaj supports Anurag
Kalki, who made her Bollywood debut in Anurag Kashyap’s 2009 film DevD came out in his support and wrote, “Dear Anurag, Don’t let this social media circus get to you. You have fought for the freedom of women in your own scripts, you’ve defended their integrity in your professional space as well as your personal life. I have been a witness to it. In the personal and professional space, you have always seen me as your equal, you have stood up for my integrity even after our divorce, and you have supported me when I felt unsafe in a work environment even before we got together.”
She signed off the note saying, “Love from an ex-wife.”
Read her full post here:
On Sunday, Anurag Kashyap’s first wife and editor Aarti Bajaj shared an extensive note on her Instagram handle, where she summed up her equation with the director, highlighting both the personal as well as professional facets. First wife here… You are a rockstar, Anurag Kashyap. Keep empowering women as you do and the safest place you create for all of them. I see it first hand with our daughter (their daughter Aaliyah Kashyap).”
Check out her post here:
Looking at this defence from Anurag Kashyap’s ex-wives, Payal Ghosh said, ‘If he is such a good person, then why did his wives leave him for no reason?”
Payal Ghosh video
In a video that was dropped by Bollywood’s ace photographer, Viral Bhayani on his Instagram account, Payal Ghosh spoke about her allegations on Anurag Kashyap. When questioned about his wives coming out in his support, Payal said, “If Anurag Kashyap is such a nice person that his ex-wives are defending them, then both of them shouldn’t have left him.”
“If a couple loves and respects each other so much, they shouldn’t get apart for nothing,” Payal added.
Speaking about Kalki Koechlin, who was the second wife of Anurag Kashyap, Payal Ghosh said,”I don’t know why Kalki is defending Anurag. She looks more happier now than when she was with him”. “They both were happy. I think if they were so happy together, then they shouldn’t have left each other,” she added.
“After separating now, both of them Kalki and Aarti are coming in support of him because this is how industry works. I am not sure, maybe they depend on him financially or something. It’s their choice”, Payal Ghosh stated.
“I just want to know why both Kalki and Aarti have left Anurag Kashyap and are leaving peacefully now”, Payal Ghosh said.
Personal relations aside, the women from the film industry who have starred in Anurag Kashyap’s directorial projects also have spoken up against the claims and they shared their experience of working with the filmmaker.