Actor Hrithik Roshan on Monday spoke out against filmmaker Vikas Bahl, who has been accused of sexual assault and misconduct.
“It is impossible for me to work with any person if he/she is guilty of such grave misconduct,” Roshan tweeted. The actor, who stars in Bahl’s Super 30, said he has requested the film’s producers to take a “harsh stand if need be”.
Roshan said the allegations against Bahl should not be “hushed or brushed under the carpet”. “All proven offenders must be punished and all exploited people must be empowered and given strength to speak up,” he added.
A former employee of Phantom Films, of which Bahl was one of four partners,has accused Bahl of sexually assaulting her after a party in Goa in May 2015, HuffPost India reported on Saturday. In October 2015, the woman told Anurag Kashyap, another partner in the production company, about the alleged assault but no action was taken against Bahl.
After the report was published, actor Kangana Ranaut accused Bahl of sexual misconduct and said she believed the woman who levelled the assault allegation. Bahl had directed Ranaut in the hit film Queen.
Anurag Kashyap on Sunday posted on Twitter that he was “ill-advised” on the matter by his lawyers and apologised to the woman. Another partner, Vikramaditya Motwane, said he was unaware of the incident till March 2017. “I am truly sorry about what happened to the girl,” Motwane said in a statement. “Vikas Bahl is a sexual offender. He has preyed on a young woman, abused her trust, ruined her life.”
Limited-time offer: Big stories, small price. Keep independent media alive. Become a Scroll member today!
Our journalism is for everyone. But you can get special privileges by buying an annual Scroll Membership. Sign up today!