Actor Akshay Kumar, who stars in the upcoming ‘Housefull 4’, has clarified that he will collaborate with filmmaker Sajid Khan in the future if the latter is acquitted of sexual harassment charges levelled against him by multiple women last year.
Kumar was interacting with the media at the trailer launch of the film along with co-actors Riteish Deshmukh, Kriti Sanon, Pooja Hegde, Kriti Kharbanda, Chunky Pandey and Bobby Deol, besides the film’s director Farhad Samji and producer Sajid Nadiadwala on Friday in Mumbai.
Khan had directed the first two instalments of the ‘Housefull’ franchise and was to helm the fourth film, too.
However, he stepped down in October last year after he was accused of sexual harassment by three women, including actress Saloni Chopra.
Samji came on board to finish the film. Besides two films in the ‘Housefull’ series, Kumar also collaborated with Khan on ‘Heyy Babyy’ in the past.
“I don’t know exactly what has happened in his case but if everything goes well and if he is acquitted, I will surely work with him in the future,” Kumar said.
Earlier reports had suggested that Khan had directed 60 per cent of ‘Housefull 4’ before being asked to stepped down, so shouldn’t he be given credit along with Samji?
“It is true that he has directed 60 per cent of the film but this call has been taken by the studio [Fox Star],” Kumar explained.
It’s been a year since the #MeToo movement started in Bollywood. Asked if he noticed any change, Kumar replied: “There have been a lot of changes. I think every other production company which I know — even in Sajid Nadidadwala’s company nowadays — there is an officer who deals with sexual harassment cases. They make sure that nothing goes wrong. They are there to accept complaints and they know everything what is happening. There is a lot of security. We don’t want any misbehaviour in our company or film sets.”
‘Housefull 4’ is an upcoming reincarnation comedy scheduled to release in India on October 25.
