Chitrangada talks about her #MeToo moment on the sets of Babumoshai...

Actress Chitrangada Singh came out in support of Tanushree Dutta who accused actor Nana Patekar of sexually harassing her at the sets of the film Horn Actor Ok Pleassss in 2008. Tanushree has also accused Vivek Agnihotri of sexual harassment on the sets of Chocolate: Deep Dark Secrets stating that she was told to strip and dance to provide the actors with cues.

When asked about the #MeToo movement has gained a momentum in Bollywood and other circles, Chitrangada said that the Indian society is very different from the society in the West. But she said that it was inspiring to see other victims like Tanushree coming forward with their experiences and that their voices shouldn’t be suppressed.

Regarding Tanushree’s accusations against Nana Patekar, Chitrangada said that if what she said is the truth, then it must be given importance no matter how much time has passed between the incident and the reporting of the crime. She said that she supports Tanushree.

Chitrangada Singh walked out of Kushan Nandy’s Babumoshai Bandookbaaz stating that she was allegedly harassed on the sets by the director who ordered her to do explicit scenes with Nawazuddin Siddiqui. Chitrangada has also worked in a film called Inkaar, which is based on sexual harassment at workplace.

Recalling her own experience with similar cases of sexual harassment from within Bollywood she says that when she was filming Babumoshai Bandookbaaz, there were changes in the script that included a titillating scene and she was asked to shoot it with Nawazuddin. The director just ordered ‘apna petticoat uthao aur ragdo aapne aap ko’! He was just atrocious. She was so taken aback by it and left the shoot. At that time she states that Nawazuddin Siddiqui was there, but there was also a female producer who didn’t object to what the director said. No one stood up for her then.

Chitrangada said: “That was my stand to walk out of the film. I shared my reasons with a media house when they called me to talk about it. I believe that nobody gave importance to that matter that time. But that doesn’t matter, because now media is doing an amazing job. #MeToo movement shouldn’t be just about copying the West. It should be concerned about our society.”

(with inputs from agencies)