Bollywood actress Richa Chadha on September 21 initiated legal proceedings against actress Payal Ghosh for dragging her name into her sexual misconduct claims against filmmaker Anurag Kashyap.
Chadha and Kashyap have worked together in the past.
Ghosh claims that Kashyap had boasted to her that other actresses like Chadha and Huma Qureshi had granted him sexual favours in exchange for work.
“Our client ‘Ms Richa Chadda’ condemns the act of her name being unnecessarily and falsely dragged in a defamatory manner into controversies and allegation being recently raised by third parties,” said Chadha’s lawyer in a statement.
Chadha posted her statement and added that wronged women should get justice at all costs, no women should misuse their liberties to harass other women. She labelled Ghosh’s allegations of her being involved as ‘false and baseless’.
“Our client has initiated appropriate legal action and shall further pursue her legal rights and remedies in law as may be advised in her best interest,” the statement read. She tagged the office of the Prime Minister of India in her tweet.
“@anuragkashyap72 has forced himself on me and extremely badly. @PMOIndia @narendramodi ji, kindly take action and let the country see the demon behind this creative guy. I am aware that it can harm me and my security is at risk. Pls help!” Ghosh had tweeted.
In a separate interview, Ghosh claimed that actors such as Chadha and Qureshi had relented to Kashyap’s demands in the past.
Chadha slammed Ghosh for dragging her name into the alleged episode with Kashyap. When a Twitter user Shweta Pandey posted an old video of Chadha defending women who spoke against Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein and filmmaker Woody Allen, Chadha responded to her directly.
“Attempt to rape is a serious allegation. She should have gone to the cops. You think feminism is women dragging your name in an obscene, unnecessary way in their personal battles? So I can make cheap allegations on TV? Your agenda has blinded you towards truth. Shame,” tweeted Chadha.
Pandey had also questioned her morality and integrity in the tweet asking why she came in support of Kashyap.
Meanwhile, Kashyap has employed a lawyer and is intending to take Ghosh to court for her defaming him.
The ‘Manmarziyaan’ director has dismissed the actress’ claim as ‘false’ and ‘baseless’.
Many colleagues such as Gulshan Deviah, Taapsee Pannu and Swara Bhasker have vouched for his strong work ethics.
On Ghosh’s side, there’s actress Kangana Ranaut — a strong detractor of Kashyap and his political leanings — who has openly hailed her for speaking up against sexual misconduct. Ranaut also claimed that big heroes in Bollywood had sexually abused her in the past.
