Mansoor Ali Khan controversy: National Commission for Women to take suo moto on Khan

Actor Trisha slammed Mansoor Ali Khan for making an insensitive, sexist comment about her. Khan played one of the negative characters in Leo, which also starred Vijay and Sanjay Dutt. Now, Khushbu Sundar, a member of the National Commission for Women (NCW) and a BJP leader has said that she will be taking action on it. Later, she shared a post by NCW, which read, “The National Commission for Women is deeply concerned about the derogatory remarks made by actor Mansoor Ali Khan towards actress Trisha Krishna. We're taking suo motu in this matter directing the DGP to invoke IPC Section 509 B and other relevant laws. Such remarks normalize violence against women and must be condemned.”

Khan had said, "When I heard that I was acting with Trisha, I thought there would be a bedroom scene in the film. I thought that I could carry her to the bedroom just like I did with other actresses in my earlier movies. I have done so many rape scenes in a number of movies and it's not new to me. But these guys didn't even show Trisha to me on the sets during the Kashmir schedule." 

Trisha reacted to the video, which was circulating on social media. “A recent video has come to my notice where Mr Mansoor Ali Khan has spoken about me in a vile and disgusting manner. I strongly condemn this and find it sexist, disrespectful, misogynistic, repulsive and in bad taste. He can keep wishing but I am grateful never to have shared screen space with someone as pathetic as him and I will make sure it never happens for the rest of my film career as well. People like him bring a bad name to mankind," she wrote on X.

Director of Leo, Lokesh Kanagaraj, came out in support of Trisha and wrote on X, “Disheartened and enraged to hear the misogynistic comments made by Mr.Mansoor Ali Khan, given that we all worked in the same team. Respect for women, fellow artists and professionals should be a non-negotiable in any industry and I absolutely condemn this behaviour.”

Condemning Khan, singer Chinmayi Sripaada wrote on X, “It’s been approximately 2-3 days since Mansoor Ali Khan’s abusive remarks during a press meet. I have been waiting to see if ANY Union has given him a red card, suspended him, some disciplinary action. Nothing. Apparently, he was only told to give an apology in front of the media. On the contrary - I was banned pretty immediately for saying I got molested by a Padma Award-winning lyricist who is a known serial offender. And 5 years later, I still have various Industry ‘veterans’ giving interviews shaming me for speaking up.”

Khan, in the meanwhile, has justified his comment and said, he “made it in jest”. “I am not the kind of person who is afraid of all this fuss. Today, politicians in prominent positions are among the heroines who have collaborated with me,” he added.