The
#MeToo
movement
has
taken
the
film
industry
by
storm
with
shocking
revelations
by
the
women
working
there.
Several
prominent
names
have
been
named
and
shamed
for
their
inappropriate
behaviour.
Amongst
them
is
filmmaker
Sajid
Khan
who
was
accused
of
sexual
harassment
by
actress
Rachel
White,
journalist
Karishma
Upadhyay
and
assistant
director
Saloni
Chopra.
Soon
after
this,
Indian
Film
&
Television
Directors'
Association
(IFTDA)
issued
him
a
notice
to
seek
explanation
of
the
complaints
against
him.
Now
for
the
first
time,
the
filmmaker
has
sent
his
reply
to
IFTDA
wherein
he
has
denied
all
the
sexual
harassment
allegations
levelled
against
him.
A
Bombay
Times
report
carried
Sajid's
reply
to
IFTDA
which
read,
"I
apologise
to
IFTDA
if
any
embarrassment
has
been
caused
to
the
association
by
the
alleged
accusation
against
me.
These
allegations
have
not
only
caused
irreparable
harm
to
my
career,
but
more
importantly,
grieved
my
mother
and
sister
immensely.
At
the
outset,
I
deny
the
complaints
levelled
against
me
as
stated
in
your
notice.
I
humbly
request
you
to
not
to
form
any
one-sided
judgement.
I
am
always
happy
to
extend
any
cooperation
to
my
association."
As
soon
as
the
#MeToo
stories
accusing
him
of
sexual
harassment
started
doing
the
rounds,
the
director
had
to
step
down
from
directing
Housefull
4.
He
had
tweeted
an
official
statement
that
read,
"In
the
wake
of
the
allegations
against
me
and
the
pressure
being
put
on
my
family,
my
producer
and
the
stars
of
the
film
Housefull
4,
I
must
take
the
moral
responsibility
of
stepping
down
from
my
directorial
post,
till
the
time
I
can
allay
the
allegations
and
prove
the
truth.
I
request
my
friends
in
the
media
to
kindly
not
pass
judgment
till
the
truth
is
out."
Soon,
his
sister
Farah
Khan
too
took
to
Twitter
and
wrote,
"This
is
a
heartbreaking
time
for
my
family.We
have
to
work
through
some
very
difficult
issues.
If
my
brother
has
behaved
in
this
manner
he
has
a
lot
to
atone
for.I
don't
in
any
way
endorse
this
behavior
and
Stand
in
solidarity
with
any
woman
who
has
been
hurt."