Sanju director Rajkumar Hirani accused of sexual assault by assistant; says, 'I used to view him as a father figure before...!
In another MeToo movement case, now popular filmmaker Rajkumar Hirani has been accused of sexual misconduct. Sanju Director Hirani has accused of inappropriate behaviour by her assistant, reports IndiaToday.
As per reports, a unit member has alleged that Rajkumar Hirani has sexually assaulted her on multiple occasions during the making of Sanju, starring Ranbir Kapoor. According to the victim, the assault allegedly took place over six months, between March and September 2018.
However, after the alleged assault, the victim reported the incidents in an email dated November 3, 2018, to Rajkumar Hirani’s frequent collaboration Vidhu Vinod Chopra and his wife Anupama Chopra, who is also a director of Vinod Chopra Films Pvt Ltd.
Reportedly, scriptwriter Abhijat Joshi and Shelly Chopra Dhar, Vidhu's sister and director of Ek Ladki Ko Dekha To Aisa Laga, were also marked on the mail.
"I remember forming these words on my lips - 'Sir. This is wrong...Because of this power structure. You being the absolute power and me being a mere assistant, a nobody - I will never be able to express myself to you,'" the woman wrote in her email about that particular incident.
"My mind, body and heart were grossly violated that night and for the next 6 months," she wrote, adding that she used to view Hirani as a father figure before he misbehaved with her.
Hirani, responding through his lawyer Anand Desai, has vociferously denied the claims. "At the outset, our client states that the allegations made against him are false, mischievous, scandalous, motivated and defamatory," Desai said.
Rajkumar Hirani is a popular director and has directed hit films like 3 Idiots, Munna Bhai M.B.B.S, Lage Raho Munna Bhai, Sanju, PK and many more.
In India’s own #MeToo movement last year, many Bollywood celebrities were accused of sexual misconduct. Among those were Alok Nath, Sajid Khan, Vikas Bahl, Rajat Kapoor, Anu Malik, Kailash Kher, Nana Patekar and Vivek Agnihotri.
First published: 13 January 2019, 16:36 IST