Being a celebrity is not at all a cakewalk as everything that glitters is not gold. Apart from the praises, they also face a lot of criticism and are often targeted with claims which can tarnish the reputation they have build with their work. The rise of #MeToo movement has given a platform for a lot of women to share their stories of sexual assault and with this movement, a lot of B-town actresses have claimed to be a victim of the same. And the latest claims are levied on the ace filmmaker, Anurag Kashyap. (Also Read: Arora Sisters, Malaika And Amrita Use An Inside Term To Wish BFF, Kareena On Her 40th Birthday)
Anurag Kashyap is known for calling a spade a spade and has never refrained himself from expressing his thoughts. Whether it is voicing his opinion on nepotism or lashing out at his trollers, the filmmaker has never backed out from speaking his mind. On September 19, 2020, actress, Payal Ghosh has accused Anurag with serious charges of sexual assault. Payal, who had made her Bollywood debut in 2017 with the film, Patel Ki Punjabi Shaadi had taken to her Twitter handle and had urged Prime Minister, Narendra Modi to take necessary action regarding the same. Her tweet could be read as “@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!”
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On September 20, 2020, Anurag’s first wife, Aarti Bajaj reacted to the accusations and gave a befitting reply to the claims laid on her ex-husband. Calling Anurag a ‘rockstar’ and claiming the charges as the ‘cheapest stunt’ Aarti wrote, “First wife here. You are a rockstar @anuragkashyap10. Keep empowering women as you do and the safest place you create for all of them. I see it first hand with our daughter. There is no integrity left and the world is full of losers and no brains baying for blood of anyone who has a voice. If everybody spends the energy which they use in hating others constructively this world will be a better place. Cheapest stunt I have seen till now. First it made me angry then I laughed so hard as it cannot come more framed then this. I am sorry that you have to go through this. That’s the level of them. You stay HIGH and keep using your voice. We love you." Anurag reposted Aarti's post on his IG story and captioned it with heart emoticons.
Anurag Kashyap's lawyer, Priyanka Khimani has released a statement revealing that the allegations levied against him are completely false. The statement reads, “My client, Anurag Kashyap, has been deeply pained by the false allegations of sexual misconduct that have recently surfaced against him. These allegations are completely false, malicious and dishonest. 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 unconscionably trade upon the pain and trauma of actual victims of sexual harassment and abuse. My client has been advised about his rights and remedies in law and intends to pursue them to the fullest extent - Priyanka Khimani.” Anurag too had reacted to Payal’s claims with a series of tweets. (Also Read: Ranveer Singh Shares 'Then-And-Now' Pictures Of His Parents To Wish Them On Their 40th Anniversary)
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In an interview with India Today, Payal had opened up on how Anurag had misbehaved with her and that she didn’t have proofs of the same as the incident had taken place in 2014. Opening about the same, Payal had revealed that the incident had taken place when Anurag was shotting for Bombay Velvet. She had claimed that the first meeting was ‘positive’, but when she had visited him for the second time at his house, he had forced himself on her. When asked, why she had decided to speak about the incident now, she had replied, “I tried to say it before also, when the #MeToo movement had started, but my family and friends stopped me. 'You can't talk, your career will be spoiled,' they told me. I posted about this also, tagging Anurag, but deleted it.” (Also Read: Charu Asopa And Rajeev Sen Celebrate Their First Anniversary Twinning In Their White Wedding Outfits)
What are your thoughts on the sexual allegations levied on Anurag? Let us know.
