Bollywood actress Richa Chadha initiated legal action against Payal Ghosh, who alleged that filmmaker Anurag Kashyap sexually harassed her and told her that Chadha, Huma Qureshi and Mahi Gill were also comfortable with him during such encounters.
Ghosh in an interview with ABN Telugu said, “I went to meet him and the next day when he took me to the other room, he opened his zip and tried to force his c**k inside my v****a by opening nada of my salwar kameez. He said it was okay and all the actresses who worked with him such as Huma Qureshi, Richa Chadha, Mahi Gil, they are just a call away.”
She also claimed that Kashyap told her “whenever I call them, they come running and s**k my c**k.
@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! https://t.co/1q6BYsZpyx
— Payal Ghosh (@iampayalghosh) September 19, 2020
The ‘Gangs of Wasseypur’ actress shared legal action against Ghosh via her lawyer Advocate Saveena Bedi Sachar. The statement read:
“Our Client ‘Ms. Richa Chadda’, condemns the act of her name being unnecessarily and falsely dragged in a defamatory manner into controversies and allegations being recently raised by third parties. Though our Client believes that genuinely wronged women should get justice at all costs, there are legislations that are intended to ensure that women have equal standing in their workplace and to ensure that they have a cordial workplace in which their dignity and self-respect is protected.
No woman should misuse their liberties to harass other women with unsubstantiated or non-existent, false and baseless allegations. Our Client has initiated appropriate legal action and shall further pursue her legal rights and remedies in law as may be advised in her best interest.”
— TheRichaChadha (@RichaChadha) September 20, 2020
Meanwhile, Ghosh will be filing an FIR against Kashyap at Oshiwara Police Station through her lawyer Advocate Nitin Satpute. On Saturday, the Patel Ki Punjabi Shaadi’ actor Ghosh accused Kashyap of sexual harassment.
Speaking to ANI, she said, “Five years ago I met Anurag Kashyap regarding work. He called me to his house. When I went there, he took me to a separate room and tried to sexually assault me. He forced himself on me.”
“I request the authorities to 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. I am seeking action against him,” said Ghosh.
Post the allegations, Kashyap responded on Twitter in which he denied the allegations, claiming that they were ‘baseless’. “I neither behave like this nor do I ever tolerate this at any price,” he said.
Kashyap also released a statement via his lawyer Priyanka Khimani which read:
“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 ssaidthat 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 fully advised of his rights and remedies in law and intends to pursue them to the fullest extent.”
And here is the statement from my lawyer @PriyankaKhimani .. on my behalf .. thank You pic.twitter.com/0eXwNnK5ZI
— Anurag Kashyap (@anuragkashyap72) September 20, 2020
Payal Ghosh made her feature debut in the 2009 Telugu film “Prayanam”, and has been seen in the 2010 Kannada film “Varshadhaare”, besides the 2011 Telugu releases “Oosaravelli” and “Mr Rascal”. She also had a role in the 2008 British TV film “Sharpe’s Peril” starring Sean Bean.
Her only Bollywood release till date is Sanjay Chhel’s 2017 rom-com “Patel Ki Punjabi Shaadi”, featuring the late Rishi Kapoor, Paresh Rawal, Vir Das, Prem Chopra and Shilpa Shinde.
Source: Free Press Journal
