Actor Payal Ghosh on Saturday accused prominent Bollywood filmmaker Anurag Kashyap of sexual assault. Payal took to her verified Twitter account on Saturday evening and alleged that Anurag had sexually assaulted her and demanded action against him. She tagged the office of the Prime Minister of India in her tweet.
"Anurag Kashyap has forced himself on me and extremely badly. PMO India Narendra Modi 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. Please help! (sic)," tweeted Payal.
@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
In a video, too, Payal said that Anurag had tried to force himself on her when she met him for work. She also alleged actors like Richa Chadda and Huma Qureshi would carry out sexual favours for Anurag. "He told me that it is a very normal thing in the industry and being in a physical relationship is not a big deal," she said in the video.
Bollywood actor Kangana Ranaut backed Payal, tweeting, "Every voice matters #MeToo #ArrestAnuragKashyap."
Every voice matters #MeToo #ArrestAnuragKashyap https://t.co/Pv1kGZIRr6
— Kangana Ranaut (@KanganaTeam) September 19, 2020
Payal has starred in two Telugu films earlier, namely Manchu Manoj’s Prayanam and Junior NTR’s Oosaravelli.
Meanwhile, National Commission for Women (NCW) Chairperson Rekha Sharma took note of Payal's allegations and tweeted, "You may send me the detailed complaint at chairperson-ncw@nic.in and NCW India will look into it."
You may send me the detailed complaint at chairperson-ncw@nic.in and @NCWIndia will look into it. @iampayalghosh https://t.co/KZzPwkmuwZ
— Rekha Sharma (@sharmarekha) September 19, 2020
In response, Payal tweeted, "Thank you. Will do that."
Meanwhile, in a series of tweets in Hindi in the early hours of Sunday, the filmmaker denied the allegations.
"What's the matter? You took so much time to try and silence me. Okay no problem. You spoke so many untruths while trying to silence me that being a woman, you are trying to drag in another as well. Have some limit, madam. I would just like to say that whatever charges have been made are baseless," Kashyap said.
क्या बात है , इतना समय ले लिया मुझे चुप करवाने की कोशिश में । चलो कोई नहीं ।मुझे चुप कराते कराते इतना झूठ बोल गए की औरत होते हुए दूसरी औरतों को भी संग घसीट लिया। थोड़ी तो मर्यादा रखिए मैडम। बस यही कहूँगा की जो भी आरोप हैं आपके सब बेबुनियाद हैं ।१/४
— Anurag Kashyap (@anuragkashyap72) September 19, 2020
"While trying to accuse me, you have tried to drag in the artistes who worked with me and even the Bachchan family, but you have failed. Madam, I have been married twice. If that is a crime, I accept that I have loved a lot, I accept that too. Be it my first wife or my second wife or any other lover or the many woman actors I have worked with, or the entire team of girls and women who have always been working with me, or all those women whom I have just met, whether in private or in public — I never engage in such behaviour nor do I tolerate it at any cost," he further added.
"The rest, whatever happens, we shall see. It can be seen in your video how much is the truth and how much is not, and for the remaining part, blessings and love to you. I apologize for responding to your English in Hindi," he concluded.
With IANS inputs