Singer Sona Mohapatra, who has always been vocal about social issues, has accused Kailash Kher of sexual misconduct. In the wake of the #MeToo movement, the 42-year-old singer spoke up in a series of tweets about her experience and called out Kher for his alleged inappropriate behaviour.

On 9 October, Sona took to micro-blogging site Twitter and shared her story.

Advertisement

“I met Kailash for coffee in Prithvi Cafe to discuss a forthcoming concert where both our bands were playing and after the usual, a hand on my thigh with lines likes, you’re so beautiful, feel so good that a ‘musician got you’ (Ram) not an actor. I left soon after,” she wrote.

(1) I met Kailash for coffee in Prithvi Café to discuss a forthcoming concert where both our bands were playing & after the usual, a hand on my thigh with lines likes, your so beautiful, feel so good that a ‘musician got you’ (Ram) not an actor. I left not soon after. (1) https://t.co/Cfz8Hf4sdP

— SONA (@sonamohapatra) October 9, 2018

Also read: Veteran writer-producer Vinta Nanda accuses Alok Nath of rape

“That did not deter Kailash Kher though. On landing in Dhaka and on my way to the venue with the organisers, keeps calling me and when I don’t pick up, calls the organisers phone to get through to me and asks me to ‘skip’ the sound check and join him in his room instead to ‘catch up’,” she tweeted. In a separate tweet, Mohapatra added that Kher did not appear to hold back even when he “knew me to be as strong as I am or that he had only recently taken a favour from my partner Ram”, read her follow-up tweet.

(2) That did not deter Kailash Kher though. On landing in Dhaka & on my way to the venue with the organisers, keeps calling me & when I don’t pick up, calls the organisers phone to get through to me & asks me to ‘skip’ the soundcheck & join him in his room instead to ‘catch up’ https://t.co/beBehXBLup

— SONA (@sonamohapatra) October 9, 2018

Besides Kailash Kher, Sona Mohapatra also called out singer Anu Malik in a different post that she shared on Instagram. “This guy, Kailash Kher is a serial predator and has been for years as are many others like Anu Malik in the industry,” she wrote.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

To all the young girls & women who are coming out with their experiences with this creep, journalists, ‘fans’ & even kids from college, know that you are not alone. This guy, #KailashKher is a serial predator & has been for years as are many others like Anu Malik in the industry. I cannot be tweeting about everyone cus I work 18 hour work days & have a life to live & breathe in. Also I cannot comment on many others basis heresay. That would be unfair. (Many journalists have been asking me for stories thinking that I’m most likely to ‘spill the beans’. I’m not) It is important that we stick to facts & our personal experiences to make this a serious & credible movement to help clean a system & lopsided power structure. It is just a start but an important one. #TimesUp #India #Change

A post shared by SONA (@sonamohapatra) on Oct 9, 2018 at 11:54pm PDT

Earlier, a journalist narrated her ordeal on Twitter and accused Kailash Kher of inappropriately touching her during an interview in Muscat.

3)The fact that Kailash had sung in my studios & for many projects in which I was the producer & knew me to be as strong as i am or that he had only recently taken a favour from my partner @RamSampathLive to create a personal track for him didn’t stop him. #TheHubris of such #men https://t.co/GLHvCsIPDR

— SONA (@sonamohapatra) October 9, 2018

On Monday, in an interview to IANS, Kailash Kher “sincerely” apologised for his behaviour and said, “I am almost all the time in my own simple world, but in case anyone has taken or thought something differently about anything, then it is my sincere apology. My devotion to music makes me who I am and I am thankful for all the love and support.”

Read more: Hrithik Roshan on Vikas Bahl | All proven offenders must be punished

Sona Mohapatra went on to comment on his apology and said it would “take a lifetime” to apologise to so many women. “The shamelessness of this man. To call himself ‘simple’, ‘devoted to music’ & even claiming amnesia. If this chap could dare try this stunt with me, it’s a disease that he has & I can vouch for not only these two women’s stories but hundreds more he would’ve have preyed on,” her tweet read.

How many women will you apologise to Kailash Kher??? Start now. Will take a lifetime. (4) 🤘🏾🔴 https://t.co/yZimwUshoE

— SONA (@sonamohapatra) October 9, 2018

The shamelessness of this man. To call himself ‘simple’, ‘devoted to music’ & even claiming amnesia. If this chap could dare try this stunt with me, it’s a disease that he has & I can vouch for not only these two women’s stories but hundreds more he would’ve have preyed on. 🔴 https://t.co/UaBL2rfz2h

— SONA (@sonamohapatra) October 9, 2018

Several women in the Hindi film industry are opening up and supporting their colleagues and contemporaries for bravely calling out their predators.