After Sajid Khan was accused of sexual harassment by several women in the industry, another actress has now shared her story. Lipstick Under My Burkha fame, Aahana Kumra, opened up about her encounter with the filmmaker in a recent interview.
The 33-year-old actress, who has been in the industry for about a decade now, also revealed that she was on the verge of committing suicide because she was “disillusioned by this culture of Bollywood.”
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In an interview to Bombay Times, the actress said, “I had a meeting with Sajid Khan about a year ago, knowing the fact that he is a shady guy. I met him and he did the same thing that Saloni (Chopra) has written about him. Same drill — you go to his house, you are escorted to his room which is pretty dark. He makes you watch what he’s watching. He did not make a pass at me, but he said that he wanted to get to know me. When I asked him why we can’t sit outside, he said his mother was sitting there so why trouble her. I asked him to switch on the lights of the room, which he did. You have to be assertive here. He wanted to chat with me. I told him my mom’s a police officer which I think made him behave. But he still asked me bizarre questions like, ‘Would you have sex with a dog if I gave you `100 crores’? He didn’t touch me. I guess he was trying to give me gyaan on how I need to be a dumbf*** or laugh at his sexist jokes, if I wanted to be a mainstream heroine in his films. He implied that I think too much and that I am too vocal about what I think. Hence, I am not mainstream actress material. Point being, you can meet anyone, but be wise about who you work with.”
“I wanted to talk about my experience with Anirban and Sajid earlier, but their stories came out, and though they tried, they couldn’t misbehave with me. Some of us are looking for a simple, ‘Sorry’. It’s not about wanting to punish someone by putting him behind bars. It is about letting people know what he/she did. Those who are guilty should accept it. I read Anirban’s letter and I am glad that at least he accepted it. Also, not all are sleazy. I have worked with a lot of good casting directors, actors, and filmmakers, and a lot depends on how you conduct yourself. Your vibe attracts your tribe,” she further said in the interview.
Read more: Someone tried to rape me during a film shoot: Soni Razdan shares her #MeToo story
On the work front, Aahan Kumra would feature in the upcoming film, The Accidental Prime Minister, based on the life and times of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The actress will play the role of Priyanka Gandhi alongside Anupam Kher, who will essay the lead role. The film is slated to release on December 21.