MUMBAI (AFP) – An Indian actress who alleges she was sexually harassed on two movie units stated Thursday she had obtained authorized notices and threats of violence over her claims.
Former Miss Universe contestant Tanushree Dutta stated she was sexually harassed by multi-award-winning Bollywood star Nana Patekar throughout the filming of the romantic comedy “Horn Okay Pleassss” in 2008. Dutta first made the allegations ten years in the past after strolling off the set.
She repeated the declare throughout a latest interview, additionally alleging that filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri had behaved inappropriately in the direction of her throughout the capturing of the 2005 film “Chocolate: Deep Darkish Secrets and techniques”. Patekar and Agnihotri each deny the claims.
Dutta, 37, stated in an announcement launched Thursday that stated she had obtained authorized notices from Patekar and Agnihotri. “That is the value you pay for talking out towards harassment, humiliation and injustice in India,” Dutta stated.
Dutta claimed she had additionally obtained “violent threats” from the perimeter, far-right Hindu nationalist group Maharashtra Navnirman Sena and was the sufferer of a “smear marketing campaign” on social media. “That is the age previous saga of survivors in our nation,” she stated.
Agnihotri’s lawyer stated Dutta’s allegations towards the director had been “completely false, frivolous and vexatious” and confirmed his shopper would sue the actress. “Now we have served a authorized discover to provoke defamation motion towards her,” Nidhish Mehrotra stated in an announcement posted on Twitter by Agnihotri.
India has but to witness its personal model of the #MeToo motion that rocked Hollywood final 12 months however Dutta has obtained the backing of a number of high-profile stars, together with Priyanka Chopra, Farhan Akhtar and Sonam Kapoor.
Different actresses have begun to talk out about a problem virtually by no means mentioned in Indian media. In December, younger star Swara Bhaskar stated she had been harassed by an unnamed director early in her profession. Bhaskar additionally referred to a “casting sofa” tradition the place younger ladies are anticipated to alternate sexual favours to safe movie roles.
Some Indian actresses have stated Bollywood must create an setting the place victims can communicate out with out concern of being ostracised or trolled on social media. Bhaskar stated the cliquey nature of Bollywood, the place lots of the main stars and administrators are both associates or associated, made going public with allegations troublesome.
Bollywood megastars Amitabh Bachchan and Salman Khan each refused to reply questions on Dutta’s allegations at latest press conferences.