Me Too Stories India: Everything You Need To Know About The #MeToo Movement In India

“What is this MeToo Movement everyone is talking about?”

I looked up from my half-eaten plate of rice and daal across the table to my grandmother. She had already finished eating and was washing her hands on her plate itself. I asked her what she meant and what she wanted to know. “Oh nothing, I was reading the newspaper yesterday and it was mentioned in the entertainment section,” she replied. “Since you know everything, I wanted to ask you about it.”

I was partly impressed that my grandmother was curious about the #MeToo Movement, and partly concerned if I would be able to explain it well. Keeping my plate aside, I started to tell her everything that had happened. I spoke about Tanushree Dutta and Nana Patekar, about Vikas Bahl and other cases that had gained prominence. She seemed unsatisfied with my reply and quizzed me if it was something only the entertainment industry in India faced. I quickly pointed out that the campaign began in the US and then spread all over the world, but that it was something that occurred all over the world and across different workplaces. I began narrating the bigger Hollywood stories.

My grandmother had lost interest now. That was when I realised that I was not doing this right. No matter how many times I read the #MeToo stories in India and abroad, no matter how many people I had talked to who had shared their own stories, I was unable to sustain my own grandmother’s interest for such an intriguing topic. This article became as much as an eye-opener for me as I hope it will to any of you reading it. So here’s everything you need to know about the #MeToo Movement and why it is one of the biggest movements of our generation.

What Is The #MeToo Movement?

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The #MeToo Movement is a social campaign against sexual harassment and sexual misbehaviour. It was initially founded in 2006 in the US to help survivors of sexual violence find pathways to heal themselves. The initiative gained traction online in the autumn of 2007 after big-shot Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein was accused of sexual misconduct. More than a dozen women in the industry came out against Weinstein on Twitter with the hashtag #MeToo. This included the likes of Alyssa Milana and Ashley Judd, as well as Oscar-winners like Gwyneth Paltrow and Jennifer Lawrence.

Who Started The #MeToo Movement?

Tarana Burke, a social activist from New York City, started the movement more than a decade ago. She began the initiative to support low-income women of colour affected by sexual abuse. She began using the words ‘Me Too’ with young girls in need of support, to let them know they are not alone.

Image source: Instagram

The two words resurfaced last year after actress Alyssa Milano took to Twitter to invite those who have experienced sexual harassment to respond with ‘Me too.’

Alyssa’s post was also a follow-up to a series of investigations by the New York Times newspaper earlier that month into decades of sexual harassment allegations against Weinstein. Within a few days, #MeToo went viral online. This also led to the subsequent ‘Time’s Up’ movement.

Image source: Instagram

Read more about the origins of the #MeToo Movement here.

Read about the #MeToo founder here.

The #MeToo Movement In India

After the initial wave of the #MeToo Movement in the US, it spread to other countries like Japan, France and Italy. It reached India and celebrities like Radhika Apte and Kalki Koechlin actively spoke out and supported the cause. The reality of  #MeToo was so powerful that it quickly found other vocal supporters in Bollywood and other major industries in the country. Thousands of women shared their own experience on social media. Actress Richa Chaddha had then expressed in a blog how prevalent sexual abuse and harassment issues were in the country.

However, it wasn’t until September this year when the conversations around the campaign really gained momentum. Actress Tanushree Dutta had alleged Nana Patekar of inappropriate behaviour while shooting a song for the movie Horn Ok Pleassss back in 2008.  Back then, the actress had raised her concerns with the movie’s crew. She walked off the set when she did not receive any support. Tanushree also made a public statement about the incident but was ignored. Instead, her car was attacked in public and she was threatened on multiple occasions.

She decided to raise the issue again this year after seeing other women speak up against sexual harassment. People have become more forthcoming to support women who have come out in the open about such cases, which in turn inspired her to talk about her plight again. Her report opened the floodgates for many other women in the Indian film industry to speak up.

Image source: Instagram

The movement gained further steam when Utsav Chakraborty, a former comedian and writer with AIB, was accused of sexual harassment by a colleague. Next in line was Queen director Vikas Bahl, who has been accused of sexual harassment by a former employee of Phantom Films, which has now been disbanded. Kangana Ranaut, the film’s lead actress also accused the director of misbehaviour.

Recently, more prominent names outside Bollywood have also been caught in the swell of accusations. Former Union Minister MJ Akbar was named by six women for inappropriate behaviour during his time as a newspaper editor. Earlier this week, Flipkart’s Chief Executive Office Binny Bansal resigned for similar reasons sending shockwaves across India’s tech industry.

To know more about the #MeToo Movement in India, follow this link. 

12 Indian Women Open Up About Their Sexual Harassment Experiences – #MeToo Stories

Women (and men) from around the world have been updating their social media profiles with the term ‘Me Too’. Why? To show the world that sexual harassment is a prevailing problem that is time and again ignored. ‘MeToo’ stands for the fact that I have personally been a ‘victim’ of sexual harassment and I am living with the trauma of that incident. To show our support, we asked women in POPxo to come forward and discuss their personal encounters with sexual harassment.

1. “That’s when I realized he was holding his penis in his hand, out of his pants. It was 3 PM in the afternoon on a flyover.”

   It was 3 PM. I was returning from college and as I do on regular days, decided to walk down from the metro station to my house. With my earphones plugged in, I always really enjoyed that walk, it was some time to unwind for me. That day as I was crossing the flyover, I saw a boy sitting on the ledge. He looked quite young and I didn’t pay him much attention while crossing him. But a few seconds later, I felt someone inching closer to me behind my back. I turned to see the boy who now stood in front of me in a way that left me cornered next to the wall. I took out my earphones and looked at him with a disgusted expression on my face. He didn’t say anything or pass a comment so I wondered what he wanted. Until he gestured with his eyes downwards. That’s when I realized he was holding his penis in his hand, out of his pants. It was 3 PM in the afternoon on a flyover. There was no one in sight and before I could register what had just happened he moved away and then ran back.
   I talked to a lot of people after that and none of us could understand what had happened. This guy had just come to show me his penis and then ran away. That was the most disgusted I felt. And I couldn’t do anything about it. I stopped walking back home from that day onwards. This was just a boy in broad daylight but what if it was a couple of boys after dark? The thought still haunts me so yes, #MeToo.

   – Isheeta Sharma, Junior Lifestyle Editor

2. “I was stepping out of the bathroom when an older man entered and pushed me back inside.”

   
   Image source: Shutterstock
   As a 16-year-old girl attending one of those massive parties, organized by teenagers, for teenagers. Looking back, I had no business being in a farmhouse with less security and that much alcohol. I was stepping out of the bathroom when an older man entered and pushed me back inside. My memory is hazy – but I managed to shove my way out within a few minutes. I spent the rest of the evening in tears, being consoled by my friends. That guy was immediately located and made to leave the premises. But he should’ve been reported to the police. Even that slight brush with such an incident made me feel mentally weak – I spent the rest of the week randomly breaking down in tears.

   – Nitya Uppal, Assistant Editor

3. “I somehow, managed to gather my wits, asked him to kindly drive on”

   I was in 2nd year of graduation at Gargi College. I had just finished band practice and decided to walk across and wait for an auto rickshaw – back in 2009, Uber and Ola were not even in the running. This was around 3 or 4 pm when the Siri Fort road area would get strangely deserted. While I waited, a car stops just a little ahead of where I was standing. He backs up his car to me and asks me to get in, with a slight nod of his head. I didn’t really know what was happening. Was I supposed to know this man from somewhere? Was he a family friend I had met some long time ago? I’m usually very good with faces and this man brought back no recollection, whatsoever. I asked him if he needed help with directions. He laughed, amused. I still didn’t understand what was going on. “You’re a college girl, aren’t you?” he asked me; the smirk was still plastered across his face. I nodded, not knowing what else to do. “Would you like to volunteer for the Commonwealth Games?” he asked. Yes, that was the time when the capital was prepping for one of the most historic events in the country and college students were clammering to get brownie points on their portfolios by being even a remote part of the event. “Why do you ask?” I countered his question. “Because I can give you work,” he retorted, still smiling in a way that starts turning uncomfortable – almost as if he knew what was about to happen and I didn’t. “I’ll take you to my hotel room and explain what work you need to do.” I was baffled, to say the least.
   I still didn’t know what was going on; more so because I realise things late and because such a thing had never happened before. “Kyun, dar gayi?” he asked in Hindi. “Ladki ho ke aise bra pehenti ho aur dar gayi?” I was wearing a halter inside with a fully covered black t-shirt and a pair of jeans, by the way. He still noticed the thin strap around my neck when that was literally the only part of my body that was revealed. I somehow managed to gather my wits, asked him to kindly drive on after mustering a meek voice to reply, ‘No, thank you’ to the man’s ‘generous’ offer. He went ahead and stopped and I stood hoping an auto-rickshaw would come by. One did. He asked for an exorbitant amount of fare because the meters were literally only an object back then. I never hesitated once and told him to drive at lightning speed.

   – Dessidre Fleming, Lifestyle Editor

4. “Before I could process what went down, a normal conversation led to him spanking my ass.”

   
   Image source: Shutterstock
   
   This was a recent memory of experiencing in action what being a ‘man of power’ in a corporate is really like. I had seen and unfortunately been a victim to his charades at the workplace. Walking around the halls of the office being inappropriate with women, touching, complementing and getting handsy was just another day for him. I could tell, his behaviour seemed justified in his head since some of the women never objected and then some of us ‘normal’ ones cringed and squirmed when he attempted those moves on us. However, no matter what we did, he didn’t seem to get the point. This guy was very, very high up in the management – practically untouchable and feared by everyone else. The incident took place at an International trip to an exotic destination, and this happened at a club during one of the office parties. I was at the bar getting myself a drink and he invited me over to talk to him, I apprehensively went over. Before I could process what went down, a normal conversation led to him spanking my ass. Everything else from that night is hazy, I remember turning around in tears and getting the hell out of there. My colleagues found me weeping in the washroom and before I knew it the entire office found out about what he did. He realised that I’m not ‘one of those women’ and apologized to me the next day. It would account for something had his apology not had the words “I’m like this with everyone in the office, I’m sorry I didn’t mean to offend you. Maybe if you spend a few more years here you’ll do that to me someday.”
   The worst part of this entire ordeal was that NOBODY tried to go and give him a piece of their mind, because of course hierarchy and fear. It was a bunch of young girls against the management and against a whole bunch of other women who JUSTIFIED his behaviour! I was all alone, in a different country unable to get any flights back home and terrified. I spent the next few days of my trip mentally disconnected from everything. I quit a few weeks later, but it is my biggest regret that I did not take any legal action against that pervert.

   – Nidhi Kavle, Senior Beauty Writer

5. “As soon as the elevator doors shut, the man pulled out his ‘junk’ from his pants, showing it to me in the broadly lit elevator of a crowded mall!”

   It was 7 pm on a weekday. I was on my own, headed for a movie in one of the biggest and most crowded multiplexes in Ahmedabad. As I entered the empty elevator to get to the 7th floor, a man behind me stepped in with his hands struggling with the chain of his jeans. At first, I was confused and a little awkward as to what is the plan here! And as soon as the elevator doors shut, the man pulled out his ‘junk’ from his pants, showing it to me in the broadly lit elevator of a crowded mall! My first instinct was to stop the elevator doors from closing and run out since we were the only two people and it was a 7-floor ride up, which I have no clue what the man intended to do with! As I ran out of the elevator two men, seeing me visibly distraught, stopped and asked what’s the matter. While doing this, the perpetrator saw an out and ran for it with a wide grin on his face. I screamed behind him, asking people to stop him, but to no avail. I got over the shock and horror of the incident pretty quickly because as women we are pretty good with our flight or fight tendencies, but I wasn’t going to let this go easily either. I demanded to see the security footage at the mall so that the man can be identified. Now, here’s the catch ladies, a big public space with big brands and restaurants operating in it, and no security cameras in the elevators! With such poor infrastructure, how can women even begin to feel safe? Maybe before the bullet trains and smart cities are built, the need of the hour should be to optimize the basic infrastructure we have in place right now! How can you expect to see the harassment done to women if you don’t have eyes everywhere?

   – Sumona Bose, Fashion Writer

6. “I could feel him pressing against my armpit and it was evident that he was drunk.”

   
   Image source: Shutterstock

   It happened when I was going back home from college in the afternoon. I took a bus and found a seat near the aisle. A few stops later, a man boarded the bus and stood beside me. Within a few minutes, I could feel him pressing against my armpit and it was evident that he was drunk. When I realized what was happening, I immediately stood up and walked to the front of the bus. But it didn’t stop there, as that man stood behind me and made an attempt to press against me, again. As an 18-year-old, with whom nothing of such sort had happened before, I got scared and decided to get down at the next stop. Unfortunately, that man stepped down too, and that moment my heart was beating at an insane rate. I took the next bus and when I was about to step down at my station, I saw that guy walking towards me. The adrenaline kicked in and I ran as fast as I could to my house. I made sure to check if that man was coming after me or not, luckily he wasn’t. This experience had such a bad impact on me that I was way too scared to take the bus for the next few weeks.

   – Sonali Pawar, Beauty Writer & Editorial Coordinator

7. “His hands were everywhere and for a minute all three of us froze because we did not know how to react.”

   As an 18-year-old, learning to defend yourself is not one of your priorities because it never crosses your mind that you might have to. After all, you’re cocky enough to think that something like this will never happen to you. I was walking from my aunt’s house, which is a block away from my house, to the market nearby with my sisters. We were debating which way to take because there were two and we wanted to take the shorter route. A man, who had been creepily shadowing us for a while, overheard our conversation and assumed that we did not know the way and were new to the area. He tried to be helpful but we brushed off his advances and walked away. He continued to follow us and in a dark alleyway, right behind my house, proceeded to grope us. His hands were everywhere and for a minute all three of us froze because we did not know how to react.
   Luckily for us, my father was at home that time and we called him. My sister broke down crying because she’d gotten the worst of it. We did manage to catch the guy and report him to the police but the police let him off on a warning and told us that “Bache uska pura future ruin ho jayega, jaane do.” That was more infuriating than the incident but I really cannot forget how this man had the audacity to touch me inappropriately right outside my house.

   – Srishti Gupta, Junior Editor

8. “Before I knew it, we were in a secluded corner of the venue and he grabbed me by the waist and kissed me on my mouth.”

   
   Image source: Shutterstock

   It happened during my school summer holidays. I was around 11 years old and my parents had taken me and my elder sister to Mumbai for the vacations. We even had a wedding to attend in between all the sightseeing and the weekend trip to Goa. It was there at the wedding that my worst nightmare came true. And I do not have any hazy memories about it… It’s all crisp and clear in my mind to this day. An acquaintance of my father must be easily around 45 years old came and started chatting with me about my studies. Uncle, as I referred to him was sweet and had a bag full of candies to offer. May I also tell you that the gathering was that of a high ranking official who we would normally refer to as the high-society. Not the regular shady men you spot on the streets all the time. The uncle then grew extremely interested in my knowledge about computers and asked me to take a walk with him while I boasted about my computer skills. Before I knew it, we were in a secluded corner of the venue and he grabbed me by the waist and kissed me on my mouth. I was too young to know what had just happened. I felt uneasy but I did not know what to do. Next, he started fiddling with my barely there breasts. That’s when I knew something was totally wrong and told him I needed to pee. We were taught not to be rude to elders and I was still being respectful while he followed me to the loo. He made an attempt to come inside the cubicle but luckily my sister was right there and he had no choice but to back off. It was only a couple of years later that I realized what had actually happened. That man even came visiting us a few years back and I excused myself out of the house before he arrived. Till date, I’ve not got the courage to tell my parents. I probably don’t want to. I probably just want to let it go… Because the truth is, I don’t even know his name, how do I even tell my parents who were at fault.

   – Manasvi Jaitly, Wedding Editor

9. “He kept coming close to me and before I could even realize, he’d kissed me.”

   After blaming myself for weeks when I finally told my sister about what happened, I realized that maybe, it’s not my fault. I was 19 and quite excited to travel for work. Apart from me, one more girl and 3 men had gone for Comic-Con Bangalore to set up a stall and drive sales. After the event was over, my girlfriend and I decided to meet a few friends and grab a drink or two. My friend went to sleep soon after we returned to the hotel but I was well awake. A man from the sales team found out that we’d gone out drinking and came to our room to check on us. Since my friend was fast asleep and I was under the influence of alcohol, this man just assumed that he can whatever he wishes to. He kept coming close to me and before I could even realize, he’d kissed me. He was a married man with a 6-year-old daughter. I was disgusted and instantly wanted to throw up. I immediately asked him to leave the room but he just wouldn’t budge. I didn’t tell anyone about this incident for about 2 weeks. When I opened up to my sister about the same, she was furious. She spoke to my boss and got the man fired from his job.

   – Srishti Sabharwal, Senior Fashion Writer

10. “It’s sad what one incident does to you, it scares you to cross the same path, it breaks your moral.”

    
    Image source: Shutterstock

    I was only 14 years old. My sister and I went out to buy Shawarmas and we had to cross the road using a foot over bridge. My sister was walking ahead of me, and I was right behind her, and for a moment I lost sight of my sister and was alone. A random guy just came near me and squeezed one of my boobs and left me a snazzy comment. I couldn’t do anything, I felt helpless and so shocked in that instant. I didn’t say anything to my sister, I just went back home and cried. I did talk to my mother a few days later and then told my friends too. Everyone I spoke with, told me of what I could’ve done. And now every time I remember that incident or cross that bridge I think of the things I could’ve done or will do if I were to ever see that guy again. It’s sad what one incident does to you, it scares you to cross the same path, it breaks your self-moral. But, those men would never understand the damage they’ve caused us. Because they will never be us. But, if you’re a guy and you’re reading this, I hope and pray you could be a man who could help out a girl when she’s in a situation like this. And if you’re a girl, don’t be scared to punch that guy in his face or kick him in the nuts because we cannot leave these men to get away with such behaviour!”

    – Cathline Chen, Lifestyle Writer

11. “We made out before, what’s wrong with it now?”

    It was my first Alumni meet in school after graduation and I decided to attend it with my old friends. I was still friends with my ex so he was there too. After the party got over, he decided to drop me off to my house as it was quite late and he didn’t want me to go alone. But we were unable to book a cab or get an auto. So we started walking towards my house which was some 3 km from the school. We were talking about college, catching up on life and there was no ‘weird’ moment between us. As soon as we reached my society, he insisted on coming inside my building. I told him it wasn’t necessary as I was already home and safe, and that he should be leaving now for his house too. But he came anyway. Suddenly, while walking towards my building, he pinned me to a wall and started kissing me. I told him “no” and tried to push him away but he just wouldn’t budge. I finally used all my force to push him back and ran straight to my house without giving him a second look. My own ex-boyfriend had molested me thinking it was okay because we had been intimate before. “We made out before, what’s wrong with it now?” he said to me later that night on a text. He felt he had come all the way to drop me home so I could be safe, therefore this is the least I could do for him.
    Meanwhile, at home, I had locked myself in my room since I didn’t want my parents to see me shivering and crying. I was unable to process what had happened to me in a span of 120 seconds. I started thinking how could I have avoided it. Yes, he apologized to me several times after that. But it is unforgettable, and even after five years, it is unforgivable.

    – Sayunkta Jain, Senior Fashion Writer.

12. “Year after year, it would happen, each time I visited my relative’s house or when he came over to our place, and I wouldn’t know what to do about it.”

    
    Image source: Shutterstock

    I was sexually abused by a family member for seven years without realising it was happening to me; someone who was and still remains a trusted member of the family, the golden child,  the ‘perfect’ boy. I was barely eight when it started. I couldn’t know what was going on, but even then, it did feel uncomfortable, as if something was not right. Year after year, it would happen, each time I visited my relative’s house or when he came over to our place, and I wouldn’t know what to do about it. He would always insist on taking me to isolated places or playing with me separately from other kids. Gradually, I began to realise what was going on. I avoided being alone with him; I used to dread the sheer idea of it. I would run over to my friend’s house, take thirty minutes to bathe instead of five to kill time until someone came back home.
    One day, I mustered up some courage and tried to speak to someone in the family about it, but it was met with ‘He could never do that. Maybe you are misjudging his care and touch.’ As a 15-year-old, I felt discouraged and I never really spoke about it after that. It finally came to a stop one day when he pushed me on the bed, not for the first time, and I hit him with my knee as he was reaching to unbutton my pants. He had the audacity to ask if I didn’t ‘like’ whatever was going on. Two chocolates were his apology for years of sexual abuse.
    It’s been about 9 years now but somehow I never talked about it again and I know it’s not the right thing to do but I am unable to. A part of me worries about our parents’ relationship, a part of me thinks it happened a long time ago, which doesn’t make it any less terrifying and criminal but words just don’t come out.

    – Anonymous

The Impact Of The #MeToo Movement In Bollywood

The #MeToo Movement was gaining momentum in Hollywood and a lot of big names from the entertainment were called out for sexual harassment and abuse. That build-up in Los Angeles soon reached Mumbai and it began with Tanushree Dutta’s revelations about Nana Patekar. Her story finally gained attention when journalist and talk-show host Janice Sequeira came out in support.

Janice, who was a cub reporter at the time, was an eye-witness to Tanushree’s horror story in 2008 on the sets of the movie, and she recounted the incident online. Shyni Shetty, an assistant director on the same film, also came forward in Tanushree’s #MeToo story and reconfirmed Janice’s statements.

Soon, big names in Bollywood, like Sonam Kapoor, Swara Bhaskar and Farhan Akhtar, were out in support of Tanushree and stood behind her. The resulting wave of the #MeToo Movement in India surfaced numerous comedians, writers, actors and directors in its wake. One after another, famous personalities, with illustrious careers behind them, were being named.

Bollywood has so far witnessed the highest number of women speaking up against their harassers. Here is the list of all the people from Bollywood who have been called out for sexual harassment:

Nana Patekar:

Image source: Instagram

The origins of this #MeToo story began in 2008 when Tanushree Dutta was shooting with Nana Patekar for the movie Horn Ok Pleasss. Tanushree had alleged that Nana had touched her inappropriately during a dance sequence. She had raised the issue with her co-stars and the dance choreographer at the time, but nothing was done.

After her initial complaints against him had fallen on deaf ears, the actress brought the issue to light again this year and revived the #MeToo Movement in India. Nana Patekar had refused to address the allegations against him in 2008. In fact, his lawyer had sent a notice to Tanushree asking for an apology.

Read the entire #MeToo story here.

Sajid Khan:

Image source: Instagram

The Housefull director was named for sexual harassment by a number of actresses in Bollywood. Saloni Chopra, who had worked with Sajid Khan as an assistant director, first brought the issue to light in her blog. Actress Rachel White and journalist Karishma Upadhyay also spoke up against him.

Akshay Kumar supported the movement and pulled out of the upcoming Housefull 4 movie, which has Khan at the helm as director. He has since been replaced by Farhad Samji.

Read the entire #MeToo story here.

Alok Nath

Image source: Instagram

The ‘most sanskaari man’ in Bollywood was called out by Tara director Vinta Nanda and actress Sandhya Mridul for sexual misconduct. Vinita said that the Hum Saath-Saath Hain actor took her to her own house after a party and violated her. Sandhya meanwhile narrated a similar incident of how he had forced himself on her.

Read the entire #MeToo story here.

Utsav Chakraborty

Image source: Instagram

One of India’s upcoming names in comedy and entertainment was pulled down sharply in the #MeToo Movement. Utsav Chakraborty was accused of sexual harassment and sending inappropriate messages to a fellow AIB writer. The comic was let go by the media house, but founder Tanmay Bhatt and Gursimran Khamba left red-faced after they admitted to suppressing information about Utsav’s misconduct. Tanmay has since resigned as the head of AIB, while Gursimran was given a leave of absence after certain allegations were pointed towards him as well.

Read the entire #MeToo story here.

Vikas Bahl

Image source: Instagram

A crew member accused the director and producer of unwanted sexual harassment during the shoot of Queen, the film. She mentioned how Vikas had opted to drop her one night in 2015, pretended to pass out drunk at her place and then masturbated on her. Kangana backed the allegations by saying that Vikas had behaved inappropriately with her too. And soon after, many industry names jumped in to support her.

Read the entire #MeToo story here.

Varun Grover

Image source: Instagram

Back in 2001, Varun Grover had allegedly harassed a woman during a rehearsal. The Sacred Games writer had denied all charges and went online to prove that he was accused wrongly. However, the accusations did put the show in jeopardy, even though Anurag Kashyap, one of the show’s directors said he “refuses to believe any allegations about Varun.”

Read the entire #MeToo story here.

Nawazuddin Siddique

Image source: Instagram

The actor was first accused of not standing up for Chitrangada Singh on the sets of Babumoshai Bandookbaaz, who later opted out of the movie. Chitrangada said that she was asked to do a scene she was uncomfortable with, and was quite shocked when Nawaz declared that couldn’t see what the fuss was about.

Later, his Miss Lovely co-star Niharika Singh alleged Nawaz had distorted details about their relationship in a now-retracted statement for his memoir. Niharika said that Nawaz had once forced himself on her, after which she confessed to giving in.

Read the entire #MeToo story here.

To read the complete list of all the people in Bollywood and the entertainment industry accused under the #MeToo Movement, follow this link.

Other people in India accused of sexual harassment

MJ Akbar

Image source: Instagram

The former Union Minister was accused by as many as 14 women, including eminent journalists such as Suparna Sharma and Priya Ramani. MJ Akbar, then the editor of a leading daily, was cited for workplace harassment. Priya Ramani had spoken about her #MeToo encounter with him at a hotel where he forcibly tried to kiss her and offered her massage. Other women have mentioned how Akbar used to stare at their breasts when addressing them and pass lewd comments.

Read the entire #MeToo story here.

Jatin Das

Image source: Instagram

Renowned painter Jatin Das, the father of actress and director Nandita Das, was also called out for sexual harassment by a co-founder of a leading daily. Nisha Bora from the Elrhino Foundation backed the statement against him as well as shared her own incident. Nisha had alleged that he had forcibly tried to grab her on multiple occasions. Das has since denied the allegations and dismissed them.

Read the entire #MeToo story here.

Vinod Dua

Image source: Instagram

Filmmaker Nishtha Jain accused the senior journalist of sexual harassment and stalking her. Nishtha had mentioned in a post online that the incident that had taken place with Vinod nearly 30 years ago. Mallika Dua, Vinod’s daughter who had repeatedly called out men accused of sexual misconduct, tweeted on the matter. Mallika later stated that if her father was “truly guilty” of the allegations, then it was “unacceptable, traumatic and painful”. She further mentioned that it was neither her battle to fight nor share the responsibility and burden and that she would deal with it on her own time.

Abhijeet Bhattacharya

Image source: Instagram

The playback singer, known for some of the classic 1990s hit songs, was cast under the spotlight when a former flight attendant accused him of verbally abusing her. This occurred when she had reportedly refused to dance with Abhijeet. The singer responded to the allegations by saying that the women were ‘fat and ugly.”

Prominent #MeToo Stories In Hollywood

Several other big names in Hollywood, including the likes of Academy Award winners and Emmy recipients, TV stars, singers and producers have been named for sexual harassment, abuse or misconduct. We round up a few prominent names for America’s entertainment world who have been caught in the #Metoo Movement in the US.

Harvey Weinstein

Image source: Instagram

The producer was first named by actress Alyssa Milano in October 2017 where she accused the movie mogul of sexual misconduct and harassment. Her claims were backed by several prominent women in Hollywood, including X-Men actor Jennifer Lawrence and Ironman star Gwenyth Paltrow.

Most of Hollywood came together during the awards season this year to take a stance against the abuse of women and corruption of power among men running production houses. The Time’s Up Movement was an offshoot of the initial #MeToo Movement against Weinstein.

Read the entire #MeToo story here.

Kevin Spacey

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The two-time Oscar winner was called out by actor Anthony Rapp for sexual assault around the same time the Harvey Weinstein case was unravelling. Rapp was 14 at the time when Spacey was accused of having abused the former child star at a party. In his response, Spacey mentioned that he did not recall the incident as it had happened a long time back. He also took the opportunity to share the fact that he was gay. Following the charges, Netflix dropped him from their popular show House Of Cards.

Read the full #MeToo story here.

Aziz Ansari

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Aziz Ansari was accused by an anonymous woman (aka Grace) who had posted about her encounter with Ansari on a website and how he repeatedly forced her to have sex with him. The piece, which came out in January 2018, was met with a polarised reaction from the public and media, while the actor said that the act was ‘completely consensual’.

Find out more about the #MeToo story here.

Johnny Depp

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Fans of author JK Rowling and the Harry Potter series were shocked when Johnny Depp was added to the magic movie franchise. The actor was cast in Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them despite having a series of domestic abuse charges against him.

Actress Amber Heard, who was then Depp’s wife, had filed for a temporary restraining order against the actor in 2016. She had reportedly accused him of being “verbally and physically abusive” to her through the “entirety” of their relationship.

Read about JK Rowling’s statement and more about the casting here.  

Ed Westwick

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The actor from the hit TV series Gossip Girl was accused by actress Kristina Cohen of raping her in 2014. The actress recounted her horrific tale about how Westwick had forced himself on her in his house when she was asleep. Westwick had denied the claims and took to social media saying he could not recount the incident. He was accused by two other women on similar charges. An investigation is under.

Read more about Ed Westwick here.

Read all about how the #MeToo Movement stirred Hollywood here.

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