Published 18:15 IST, September 20th 2020
Anurag Kashyap's first wife Aarti Bajaj slams Payal Ghosh's allegations against director
Anurag Kashyap's former wife, Aarti Bajaj, and friends from the industry come out in support of the director after Payal Ghosh accused him of sexual assaut
Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap's former wife, film editor Aarti Bajaj, and friends from the industry, Tisca Chopra, and Surveen Chawla, have come out in support of the director after actor Payal Ghosh accused him of sexual harassment. On Saturday, Ghosh took to Twitter, claiming that the Gangs of Wasseypur director was sexually inappropriate towards her, an allegation Kashyap called "baseless".
Ghosh, 30, tagged Prime Minister Narendra Modi in her tweet, requesting him to take action against the filmmaker. Kashyap's first wife Bajaj said the filmmaker was somebody who makes sure to create a safe work environment for his female co-workers.
"First wife here... You are a rockstar @anuragkashyap10. 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 posted on Instagram. "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 spend that energy which they use in hating others constructively this world will be a better place," she added.
Calling Ghosh's allegation the "cheapest" stunt, Bajaj urged Kashyap to keep raising his voice against every wrong. "Cheapest stunt I have seen till now. First it made me angry then I laughed so hard as it cannot come more framed than this. I am sorry that you have to go through this. That's the level of them. You stay high and keep using your voice. We love you," she added.
CELEBS SUPPORT KASHYAP
Let them creep
— Surveen (@SurveenChawla) September 20, 2020
Let them crawl
U my friend
As always stand tall
These false flag bearers of feminism....
Opportunism???
They dont honour men like u,
For their lack of knowledge in knowing know who u really are,
And claims they make,that are just so bizarre!@anuragkashyap72
Ur life,ur work and the women u create with ur craft...speak volumes about u.I have the priveledge to know the real feminist in u,
— Surveen (@SurveenChawla) September 20, 2020
I take the honour my friend to stand for u! @anuragkashyap72
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 ..
— Tisca Chopra (@tiscatime) September 20, 2020
Payal Ghosh accuses Anurag Kashyap
Payal Ghosh claimed Anurag Kashyap sexually assaulted her in 2014-15 in an interview with the news channel ABN Telugu. She claimed that Kashyap did an inappropriate gesture while seeking a sexual act from her, after inviting her into another room. Payal claimed that he boasted about other actresses agreeing to his similar demands and that many were ready to ‘sleep with him just to share a frame with Ranbir Kapoor’. His ambitious film Bombay Velvet had not released then.
Tweeting to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Payal wrote that Kashyap had ‘forced himself upon’ her. Seeking action against ‘demon behind the creative talent’, she claimed she could be harmed and sought protection.
(with PTI inputs)
Updated 18:15 IST, September 20th 2020