In the wake of the Nana Patekar-Tanushree Dutta row, Bollywood diva Kangana Ranaut has lent support to a girl who accused her ‘Queen’ director Vikas Bahl of sexual harassment.
In a statement, Kangana, while backing the woman accusing Bahl, said “I totally believe her. Even though Vikas was married back in 2014 when we were filming ‘Queen’, he bragged about having casual sex with a new partner every other day. I don’t judge people and their marriages but you can tell when addiction becomes a sickness.”
Sharing her experience with Bahl on the sets of ‘Queen’, the ‘Krishh’ star said, “He partied every night and shamed me for sleeping early and not being cool enough. I often told him off. He was scared of me but still every time we met socially, we greeted and hugged each other. He would bury his face in my neck and hold me really tight and breathe in the smell of my hair. It took me a great amount of strength and effort to pull myself out of his embrace, he would say – I love how you smell K-I could tell something is wrong with him.”
However, Kangana lambasted the members of the now-dissolved Phantom Films for not helping the girl when she sought help regarding the matter in the past.
“What is sad is that now that Phantom has dissolved, many are attacking him (Bahl). Even though the girl asked for help long ago, that time the story was conveniently killed. But I supported her at that time as well. You can see my media interaction during one of my brand endorsements, I thought the movement would catch up but I was wrong.”
Kangana also revealed that she lost out on a few projects after she decided to help the girl who accused Bahl.
“At that time Vikas came to me with a script about a gold medalist from Haryana. When I supported the girl, he stopped talking to me. I didn’t mind losing out on a good script and I never called him either. I was determined to say what I felt was right but the matter was pushed under the carpet and I didn’t hear any updates about the same.”
She continued “Attacking powerless men won’t begin a movement. Either we do it or we don’t. Let’s not be opportunists if we are a shit society and be honest within yourself. Selective outrage will only serve as entertainment, this will just be tabloid gossip and nothing else.”
On the work front, Kangana will next be seen in ‘Manikarnika: The Queen Of Jhansi’, which will clash with Vikas Bahl’s directorial ‘Super 30’ at the box office.
Incidentally, ‘Super 30′ is Phantom Films’ final project.
