Vikas Bahl Accused of Sexual Misconduct; Anurag Kashyap Releases Statement

Vikas Bahl (director of Queen and Shaandaar) has been accused of sexual misconduct

This allegation was brought to light following a harrowing feature on Huffington Post (HP), the young woman, who was a former employee of Phantom Films recounted the horrific incident which allegedly took place in Goa.

A former young woman working at Phantom Films had alleged that she was molested by Vikas Bahl, director of the much-acclaimed movie Queen, during a trip to Goa.

This incident happened ahead of the release of Bombay Velvet in the year 2015.

When a friend had suggested her to take it up with Kashyap, the woman exclaimed to HP that the thing with Phantom is, nothing would come out of it.

Anurag Kashyap releases a statement on Twitter

While Bahl has maintained silence about the allegations, Anurag resorted to Twitter to share a statement and apologise to the young woman.

Anurag started things off by saying that he did everything in his power legally to help the woman but they had very limited options.

Eventually, the woman found it difficult to trust Kashyap and even her boyfriend was mistrusting of him as he felt that they would eventually protect Vikas.

Anurag also shared that it was the victim’s choice to not talk about it and hence that had to be respected.

My statement in light of the recent HuffPost article and breaking up of Phantom . There are two pages.. pic.twitter.com/WCAsaj6uFR

— Anurag Kashyap (@anuragkashyap72) October 7, 2018

“What makes it worse personally for me is that the victim did not share the incident with me for a long time because she saw me dealing with my depression,” the Manmarziyaan director notes.

Talking about how being a director of the company, one can’t claim ignorance, Anurag added, “None of this takes away from the wrong that has been done and perhaps never will.

I am better aware today to not allow ourselves to be in a similar place ever again. I am deeply, truly sorry to the woman in question and she has known this all this while.

This will never happen again on my work premises ever again.”

Kangana Ranaut too accuses Vikas Bahl of Harassment

Actor Kangana Ranaut has extended support to the former employee of Phantom Films who has accused Super 30 director Vikas Bahl of molestation.

Kangana has claimed the director had harassed her on the sets of Queen as well.

In an interview with India Today, the actor who won a National Award for her performance in the film, said:

“Every time we met, socially greeted and hugged each other, he (Bahl) would bury his face in my neck, hold me really tight and breathe in the smell of my hair.

It took me a great amount of strength and effort to pull myself out of his embrace. He’d say ‘I love how you smell K’.”

The 31-year-old actor said she could tell on the sets of the 2014 film that “something is wrong with him.”

Kangana added in the interview:

“Even though Vikas was married back in 2014 when we were filming Queen, he bragged about having casual sex with a new partner every other day.

I don’t judge people and their marriages but you can tell when addiction becomes a sickness.

He partied every night and shamed me for sleeping early and not being cool enough.”

In the interview, Kangana also adds that she lost a film that Vikas had pitched to her after she spoke in the support of the woman.

“At that time Vikas had come to me with a script about a gold medallist from Haryana. When I supported the girl, he stopped talking to me.

I didn’t mind losing out on a good script and I never called him either. I was determined to say what I felt was right. The matter was pushed under the carpet and I didn’t hear any updates on the same.”

She also demanded to know why Vikas is being attacked now, years after the woman accused him of abuse.

“Shame on such a society. Go look at yourselves in the mirror, a bunch of cowards, attacking powerless men won’t begin a movement. Either we do it or we don’t.

Let’s not be opportunists. If we are a s**t society, let’s accept it, at least have that much honesty within yourself.

Selective outrage will only serve as entertainment, this will just be tabloid gossip and nothing else.”

A statement is yet to be made by Vikas Bahl. He is currently working on Super 30 starring Hrithik Roshan and is produced by Sajid Nadiadwala.