This is not the first time a woman has come forward accusing Anu Malik of inappropriate behaviour and misconduct. The Bollywood singer and composer has been called out as a sexual offender by several women from the film fraternity. Singers Sona Mohapatra and Shweta Pandit, along with four anonymous women, had come forward and shared their harrowing tales a year ago. In the light of these claims as part of the #MeToo wildfire, he was asked to step down as the judge of the singing-talent reality show, Indian Idol.
But as the movement died down and another season (Indian Idol 11) of the show started airing, Anu Malik came back on the show as a judge alongside Neha Kakkar and Vishal Dadlani, replacing Sona Mohapatra. Post the decision, the Ambarsariya singer took to Twitter and wrote:
It takes only a Nirbhaya level tragedy for #India to wake up? Few days after these👇🏾,I was asked to leave my judge seat. My co-judge told me,the publicity I provided to Anu Malik took up the trps of our ‘rival’ show. (?!) A year later,a sexual predator is back on the same seat. pic.twitter.com/HFaLCOAXzZ
— ShutUpSona (@sonamohapatra) October 29, 2019
Recently, Neha Bhasin came in support of Sona and also opened up about Anu Malik’s behaviour during one of the encounters she had with the singer from when she was only 21 years old, “I agree with you. We do live in a very sexist world. Anu Malik is a predator, I too have run away from his strange moves when I was 21. I didn’t let myself get into a sticky situation beyond him lying on a sofa in front of me talking about my eyes in a studio.”
She added, “I fleed lying my mums waiting below. He even msgd and called me after that to which I stopped responding. The point is I went to give him my cd and hope for a chance at a song. He was older and shouldnt have behaved the way he did. @The_AnuMalik is an ugly pervert…”
I agee with you. We do live in a very sexist world. Anu Malik is a predetor, i too have run away from his strange moves when i was 21. I didn't let myself get into a sticky situation beyond him lying on a sofa in front of me talking about my eyes in a studio. I fleed lying https://t.co/tQgStLrYyT
— Neha Bhasin (@nehabhasin4u) October 30, 2019
I fleed lying my mums waiting below. He even msgd and called me after that to which i stopped responding. The point is i went to give him my cd and hope for a chance at a song. He was older and shouldnt have behaved the way he did. @The_AnuMalik is an ugly pervert and does not https://t.co/tQgStLrYyT
— Neha Bhasin (@nehabhasin4u) October 30, 2019
We can’t help but think of how many more such cases will it take for the authorities to take necessary actions, once and for all! How many victims have to call out the accused in the vain hope of justice?
After the Nai Jaana singer’s tweets, Sona further addressed the country and all of the media saying…
Dear India,media @SonyPictures , @nehabhasin4u was all of 21, @ShwetaPandit7 was 15 when he tried kissing her,his family doctors daughter was 14 when he unzipped, countless other women shared their @IndiaMeToo stories about Anu Malik,including Danice D’Souza, #IndianIdol Producer https://t.co/D96ejmTjJ3
— ShutUpSona (@sonamohapatra) October 31, 2019
…only to get backlash from the men in the country. But Neha had a fitting response to this, “The press thinks I have something more to say. I said what I had to. @The_AnuMalik has been accused several times @SonyTV alone knows why he is so precious to them. Or why so many men here are supporting him. Power tripping was a thing of the 90s so look out perverts v are not scared.”
The press thinks i have something more to say.I said what i had to. @The_AnuMalik has been accused several times @SonyTV alone knows why he is so precious to them.Or why so many men here are supporting him. Power tripping was a thing of t 90s so look out perverts v are not scared
— Neha Bhasin (@nehabhasin4u) October 31, 2019
Neha went on to expose how the industry is not an easy place for young women who come to Mumbai alone to try and make their dreams come true and blames “such incidents” that exist “inside n outside our industry” for making it so. Furthermore, she said that it’s a woman’s forgiving nature that “gives them the strength to ruin our dignity, hide us women in our houses.”
Even though i have a brave DNA Sona 🙂 as you have known me the industry or the world was not an easy place as a young girl alone away from family due to many such Incidents or getting a hunch of such perverts. Perverts exist inside n outside our industry but why are we so https://t.co/VcCxryE8Ff
— Neha Bhasin (@nehabhasin4u) October 31, 2019
(2) so forgiving to the men, do we realise that is what gives them the strength to ruin our dignity, hide us women in our houses. I hid many times so as to not get myself in a sticky situation. Why is it ok? For a man who is predetor to walk free while we hide in shame n fear? https://t.co/VcCxryE8Ff
— Neha Bhasin (@nehabhasin4u) October 31, 2019
No, it is absolutely not okay and Neha has our complete support for bringing this up so fiercely. Both the singers, Sona and Neha, tagged Anu Malik in all of their tweets too. We need more such brave women today.
Neha also talked about how Indian television defines a woman’s role as that of a mother, a sister-in-law and a sister, but what is the role of a man? She tweeted:
Last thing i wanna say is 19 to age 30 many older men tried to make their cheap advances oh ne rest assured i complained to the people i thought would bring justice. The Tv world says a womans role is of Ma, bhabhi aur behen oh yes i was told that too. So what is A man's role? https://t.co/VcCxryE8Ff
— Neha Bhasin (@nehabhasin4u) October 31, 2019
If only lawmakers had an answer to this million-dollar question.
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