Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap, who has been accused by actor Payal Ghosh of sexual harassment, found support from his first wife and film editor Aarti Bajaj, who called Ghosh’s allegations the “cheapest stunt” she has seen.
She took to Instagram to come out in support of her ex-husband, calling him a “rockstar”.
“Keep empowering women as you do and the safest place you create for all of them. I see it first hand with our daughter,” Bajaj wrote in her post. “There is no integrity left and the world is full of losers and no brains baying for blood of anyone who has a voice. If everybody spends that energy which they use in hating others constructively this world will be a better place. Cheapest stunt I have seen till now,” she added.
On Saturday, Ghosh took to Twitter and wrote that the "Gangs of Wasseypur" director was sexually inappropriate towards her, a claim he has dismissed.
The 30-year-old actor tagged Prime Minister Narendra Modi in her tweet, requesting him to take action against Kashyap.
"@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. Please help!" Ghosh wrote.
Dismissing the allegations, Kashyap called Ghosh's claim an attempt to "silence" him.
While actor Kangana Ranaut, who has had run-ins with Kashyap recently on social media, supported Ghosh, film personalities like Hansal Mehta, Taapsee Pannu, and Mohammad Zeeshan Ayyub came out in support of Kashyap, and others like Sayani Gupta, Tisca Chopra, Surveen Chawla and Anubhav Sinha urged that the #MeToo movement must not be abused for vendetta.
"Worst of human kind seen in the last few months: 1. Appropriating someone's death for personal vendetta. 2. Appropriating one of the most important movements for political vendetta MeToo #StandwithAnuragKashyap," wrote Gupta.
At least "spare an important movement like #MeToo", appealed Ayyub.
In a carefully worded, lengthy thread, Mehta questioned whether the allegation against Kashyap was just another "witch hunt", adding he was "troubled and full of questions".
"This happening at a time when Anurag often against advice has been outspoken and provided a contrarian view on things happening around us. is he making some people uncomfortable? there are so many questions and they are not necessarily about the allegations leveled against AK.
"Is this a witch-hunt yet again? are they trying to shut up an artist with a dissenting opinion? where are we headed? and then after hearing the accusation - can this even be anurag? it is definitely not the anurag I know," the director wrote.
Mehta said lies will do a "huge disservice" to women who are regularly subjected to sexual harassment and abuse, adding #MeToo movement must "not become a target of abuse for somebody's selfish gains".
Sinha, too, said the existence of the #MeToo movement is to amplify voices of harassed women and should not be misused.
"It is the joint responsibility of women and men both to carefully protect the sanctity of #Metooindia. It is a very very very important movement that should not be misused for any other reason but the dignity of women," he tweeted.
Chawla, who worked with the filmmaker on his two-part Netflix series "Sacred Games", said the allegation against the director reeked of "opportunism".
Chopra, who featured alongside Kashyap and Chawla in the short film "Chhuri", said the director was one of the biggest supporters of talent, be it men or women.
"To know my friend @anuragkashyap72 is to know generosity, honesty and decency at its core .. even a cursory look at his work reveals his worldview on women .. don't know a bigger supporter of talent, men or women," she tweeted.
(With PTI inputs)
