Bollywood has been embroiled in controversy of late, one after another. There’s something new we wake up to everyday and now actor, Huma Qureshi has penned a powerful response after her name has popped up in a controversy in which filmmaker Anurag Kashyap has been accused of sexual harassment. Huma Qureshi was casted in Kashyap’s two-part film, Of Wasseypur.
The filmmaker has now been accused of “forcing” himself on an actress who told a television channel that he named three actresses as being “just a call away.” In response, the actress claims she said, “You have given chance to Richa Chadha, Mahie Gill, Huma Qureshi… they are so nominal looking girls. Generally directors don’t give them a chance but you have done a great job. But I am not mentally prepared for this right now.”
Anurag Kashyap has denied the claims and allegations and Huma Qureshi has been irked that her name has cropped up in the controversy. In her own response, Huma Qureshi tried to explain why she is angry and writes to the best of her knowledge, claiming that Anurag Kashyap never behaved improperly with her or anyone else. In a statement released on her Instagram, the actor explained that the filmmaker was a dear friend to her.
“Anurag and I last worked together in 2012-13 and he is a dear friend and an extremely talented director. In my personal experience and to my knowledge he has neither misbehaved with me or anyone else. However, anyone who claims to be abused must report to the authorities, the police and the judiciary. I chose not to comment till now because I don’t believe in social media fights and social media trials,” she said.
She went on to add, “I feel really angry at being dragged into this mess. I feel angry not just for myself but also every woman whose years of hard work and struggle gets reduced to such baseless conjecture and allegations in their workplace. Please let’s refrain from this narrative. It is the joint responsibility of women and men both to carefully protest the sanctity of #MeToo. This is my final response. Please do not approach me to make any more statements on this matter,” she concluded. You can view here statement here:
Anurag Kashyap responds to sexual assault allegations, terms them ‘baseless’
Further, actor Richa Chahda, whose name was also dragged into the controversy has sent the accuser a legal notice and shared the lawyer’s statement on social media. “Our client ‘Ms. Richa Chadha’ condemns the act of her name being unnecessarily and falsely dragged in a derogatory 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 an 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.”
Further, Anurag Kashyap’s ex-wife, Kalki Koechlin also shared a post in his defence saying, “Keep empowering women as you do.”
