Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap, facing sexual harassment allegations from actress Payal Ghosh, took to Twitter to give his side of the argument. He said the allegations were unsubstantiated. "[Surprised] it took so long to attempt to silence me. You [Ghosh] have dragged several women into this. All the allegations are false."
बाक़ी मुझपे आरोप लगाते लगाते, मेरे कलाकारों और बच्चन परिवार को संग में घसीटना तो मतलब नहले पे चौका भी नहीं मार पाए।मैडम दो शादियाँ की हैं,अगर वो जुर्म है तो मंज़ूर है और बहुत प्रेम किया है , वो भी क़बूलता हूँ । चाहे मेरी पहली पत्नी हों, या दूसरी पत्नी हों या २/४
— Anurag Kashyap (@anuragkashyap72) September 19, 2020
Ghosh had tweeted claiming Kashyap had assaulted her. "@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!" she said.
@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 released to ABN Telugu, Ghosh claimed that the incident happened in 2014-2015. The actor, who made her Hindi debut with Rishi Kapoor-Paresh Rawal starrer Patel Ki Punjabi Shaadi, also claimed that Kashyap boasted about his connection with megastar Amitabh Bachchan and claimed that there were other female artistes who he got intimate with. Ghosh found support in National Commission for Women, with its chairperson Rekha Sharma assuring the actor that the NCW will take cognisance of the case. "You may send me the detailed complaint at chairperson-ncw@nic.in and @NCWIndia will look into it. @iampayalghosh," Sharma tweeted.
"He made me feel uncomfortable. I felt bad about it, whatever happened shouldn't have happened. If someone approaches you for work, it doesn't mean the person is prepared for anything," she said, reported ANI.
In his rebuttal, Kashyap said: "While accusing me, you attempted to drag my artists and the Bachchan family into this. I have married twice, and I have loved a lot, if that is my crime I accept it." He said he does not endorse such behaviour, stating that he has been among many women, be it his first wife, the second, his lovers, the actresses he worked with, or the team under him.
