The Indian media industry has witnessed a massive #MeToo movement over the last couple of weeks after actress Tanushree Dutta accused veteran actor Nana Patekar of alleged misconduct on the sets of the 2008 film ‘Horn OK Pleassss’ while filming for a dance sequence.
With the victims coming forward, the accused are being exposed. Now, in a shocking turn of events, actor and thespian Rajat Kapoor has been accused of misconduct.
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Earlier on October 7, writer and journalist Sandhya Menon shared a post, wherein two women had accused the ‘Kapoor & Sons’ actor of misconduct. One of the two women is a journalist, who stated that while she was interviewing Rajat Kapoor on the phone, he misbehaved and asked her ‘are you as sexy as you sound’, also inquired about her body measurements.
While another woman narrated an incident wherein the actor kept bothering her, called her for a film’s shoot and allegedly asked her if she knew an empty house.
I don’t even know any more.
Filmmaker Rajat Kapoor
Two separate and different accounts pic.twitter.com/nBjNOsun3j
— Sandhya Menon (@TheRestlessQuil) October 7, 2018
Responding to these allegations, Rajat Kapoor issued an apology earlier on Monday and wrote, “All my life I have tried to be a decent man, to do the right thing. If however, I have slipped and through my actions or words caused pain or hurt or trauma to absolutely anybody, please accept my apology.”
“I am sorry from the bottom of my heart- and sad that I was the cause of this hurt to another human being. If there is one thing more important to me than even my work, it is to be a good human being. And I have tried to be that person. And now, I will try harder.”
I am sorry from the bottom of my heart- and sad that I was the cause of this hurt
to another human being.If there is one thing more important to me than even my work,
it is to be a good human being.
And I have tried to be that person.
And now, I will try harder.— Rajat Kapoor (@mrrajatkapoor) October 7, 2018
Meanwhile, Union Minister for Women and Child Development, Maneka Gandhi has lauded the #MeToo movement and said, “I hope it won’t go out of control in the sense that we target people who’ve offended us in some way. But I think women are responsible & anger at sexual molestation never goes away.”
Now a Me Too campaign has started&I'm very happy that it has started. I hope it won't go out of control in the sense that we target people who've offended us in some way. But I think women are responsible&anger at sexual molestation never goes away: Union Minister Maneka Gandhi pic.twitter.com/JKbp0UE2KY
— ANI (@ANI) October 8, 2018
Further, Maneka has urged “women to speak up against sexual harassment at workplace and report it to SHe-Box portal for redressal.”
I also urge women to speak up against sexual harassment at workplace and report it to our dedicated portal #SHeBox https://t.co/nAX1coyA2C for redressal. pic.twitter.com/c0EalCvOR9
— Maneka Gandhi (@Manekagandhibjp) October 8, 2018
The MeToo movement, which started exactly a year ago, gathered momentum in India only after actress Tanushree Dutta re-iterated allegations of sexual harassment against Nana Patekar. Since then many skeletons have fallen out of the cupboard – ‘Queen’ Kangana Ranaut has shared her ordeal at the hands of Vikas Bahl, writer Chetan Bhagat issued an apology when he was accused and women in the media have spoken out against sexual harassment in newsrooms.