Richa Chadha On Sexual Harassment Allegations On Rajkumar Hirani: I’m Not Defending Him Or The Girl!
Richa Chadha on sexual harassment allegations against Rajkumar Hirani: Everyone is sceptical as they don't know the facts of the case as it has come from an anonymous account.
Richa
Chadda
speaks
on
Raju
Hirani's
controversy:
Watch
Video
|
FilmiBeat
Bollywood
has
largely
been
silent
about
the
sexual
assault
allegation
against
filmmaker
Rajkumar
Hirani
and
actor
Richa
Chadha
believes
that
it
is
because
they
are
not
aware
of
the
facts
of
the
case.
Hirani
is
the
latest
name
to
be
called
out
for
sexual
harassment
with
a
woman
"assistant"
alleging
in
an
article
in
HuffPost
India
that
he
sexually
abused
her
more
than
once
between
March
and
September
2018
while
working
on
Sanju.
When
asked
if
the
industry
was
quiet
about
Hirani
as
he
is
a
powerful
director,
Richa
told
reporters,
"It
isn't
power
structure.
I
think
everyone
is
tentative
because
they
don't
know
the
facts
of
the
case.
Legally,
a
publication
is
allowed
to
run
a
story
because
they
vet
it
with
their
legal
team.
But
it's
an
anonymous
allegation.
I'm
not
defending
him
or
the
girl
either.
I've
learnt
it
the
hard
way.
A
friend
of
mine
was
falsely
accused.
This
is
the
only
reason
why
I
feel
people
are
tentative."
The
actor
said
her
upcoming
film
Section
375
debates
about
consent
and
said
if
survivors
come
out
and
share
their
stories,
they
must
be
supported.
"If
there's
a
survivor
willing
to
come
forward
and
say
'this
happened
to
me' and
confide
in
people,
we
must
support
her.
Which
is
why
I
vocally
supported
Vinta
Nanda."
"He
(Hirani)
is
one
of
the
directors
with
the
cleanest
image,
you
must
not
forget
that.
There
have
been
others
who
were
accused
but
nobody
said
anything,"
she
added.
The
actor
was
speaking
at
a
special
event
of
her
upcoming
Shakeela
where
she
launched
a
calendar
of
the
film.
Richa
said
she
has
understood
that
the
best
thing
to
do
in
#MeToo
movement
is
to
take
the
legal
route.
"The
press
also
plays
a
role.
When
you
print
a
hearsay,
the
powerful
will
suppress
the
story
but
many
people
get
caught
up
in
rumours.
It
has
to
be
looked
at
from
both
sides." The
Masaan
actor
said
a
bad
date,
a
relationship
gone
sour
or
vendetta
is
not
#MeToo.
"We
are
talking
about
2019,
if
exploitation
has
happened,
you
should
definitely
go
to
the
police
and
take
legal
route.
A
lot
of
people
suffer
in
trial
by
media.
I'm
very
enthusiastic
about
the
movement
because
it's
very
important.
If
women
don't
feel
safe,
then
how
will
the
work
be
done.
It
shouldn't
be
trial
by
media
but
trial
by
law.
If
you've
filed
a
complaint
then
don't
back
out.
If
someone
is
putting
pressure
on
you,
voice
it.
There
are
people
who'll
hear
you,"
she
added.
While
most
people
in
Bollywood
have
refused
to
speak
on
the
issue,
Hirani's
previous
collaborators
Arshad
Warsi,
Dia
Mirza
and
Sharman
Joshi
have
batted
for
the
filmmaker.
The
director
also
found
support
in
veteran
screenwriter
Javed
Akhtar,
who
called
him
the
"most
decent" person
in
the
industry.