TV actor Shilpa Shinde admits false harassment complaint, sparks industry outrage and call to action: 'Joke is on us'

A years-old controversy involving actor Shilpa Shinde has resurfaced after the actor admitted that the sexual harassment complaint she once filed against producer Sanjay Kohli was false. The admission, made during a recent podcast appearance, has triggered sharp criticism online.

TV actor Hina Khan posted on her Instagram stories, "I usually never talk about anyone, I never comment or react on someone else’s business, I only and only speak up when it is about something sensitive, something that affects all of us as a society especially as women.. As someone who enjoys public light and has a position to speak up, I must do my bit," Hina wrote, adding that the situation was 'shameful.

She wrote, "Everyone is absolutely right to call it out and demand justice. I am shocked beyond words. I want to talk about the 'real victim' here. A respected man with a wife, daughter and many other women in his family. A hardworking producer with so many shows, went through such an ordeal."

Later, Pooja Bedi told Variety India, she said, “Any woman who weaponizes laws meant to protect victims, be it for revenge, personal gain, leverage, publicity, or malice, is betraying the very cause those laws were created to serve. False accusations not only destroy innocent lives but also make it harder for genuine survivors to be believed. Such misuse of the law is unacceptable and must carry serious consequences.”

The backlash gathered pace after Delhi-based men's rights group NCMIndia Council for Men Affairs publicly urged the Mumbai Police to investigate the matter. The organisation, which advocates for men's rights and gender equality, posted on X, formerly Twitter, demanding action against the actor following her remarks.

“Dear @MumbaiPolice please arrest Shilpa Shinde for lodging a false sexual harassment case against her producer," the post read. The post was accompanied by a clip from the podcast in which Shilpa acknowledged that the complaint she had filed against the producer of her show was false.

The organisation later followed up with another post questioning the police over the lack of response.

The controversy dates back to 2016, when Shilpa, then one of the most recognisable faces on Bhabiji Ghar Par Hain!, exited the show amid a dispute with its producers. At the time, she accused them of harassment and withholding payments.

Speaking recently on a podcast hosted by Bharti Singh and Haarsh Limbachiyaa, Shilpa reflected on the fallout and admitted that the sexual harassment allegation against Kohli was untrue.

Looking back at the situation of Sanjay Kohli, the actor said, "Poor man, he ended up getting defamed because of it. Today, through this platform, I want to say that it was false. I am confessing this for the first time. After that, we reached a settlement and the payments that were due to me at the time, which we used to receive after three months, were cleared."

"I can’t explain what I was going through at that time. I fought the battle thinking, ‘To hell with all of you.’ Filing such a case after a year was very difficult for me, but I genuinely felt I had no other option. What I am saying today is a very big thing. Lying is not easy. A lie is a lie, whether it is small or big. I had told them that if life ever gave me the opportunity, I would confess that it was false,” she added.

In 2025, Shilpa returned to Bhabiji Ghar Par Hain!, saying she came back because of the show's writer and that her relationship with the makers had improved considerably over the years.