A veteran writer-producer, Vinta Nanda has accused Bollywood’s most ‘Sanskari’ Alok Nath of sexually assaulting her almost two years ago.
“I have waited for this moment to come for 19 years,” Nanda wrote in a long, heart-wrenching Facebook post, referring to the “predator in question” as “the actor par excellence who is known as the most ‘sanskaari’ (cultured) person in the film and television industry”.
She did not name the person but she pointed out about his personality and said that the person was the ‘lead actor’ and a ‘television star of that decade’ were good enough to make out she was pointing the finger at Nath.
“He was an alcoholic, shameless and obnoxious but he was also the television star of that decade, so not only was he forgiven for all his bad behaviour, many of the guys would also egg him on to be his worst,” Nanda wrote, adding that he even harassed the show’s lead actress who was not interested in him.
Sharing the ‘worst’ that happened, Nanda recounted the incidents that followed after she left a party at Alok’s house at 2 a.m. She says her drinks were mixed.
“I started to walk home on the empty streets… Midway I was accosted by this man who was driving his own car and he asked me to sit in it and said he would drop me home. I trusted him and sat in his car.
“I have faint memory after that. I can remember more liquor being poured into my mouth and I remember being violated endlessly. When I woke up the next afternoon, I was in pain. I hadn’t just been raped, I was taken to my own house and had been brutalised.
She didn’t come out sooner was because once she was allegedly called by Nath in his house and she went there again! because she wanted job.
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“I needed the job and didn’t want to leave it as I needed the money. It was after this that I quit.” Nanda urged people to not hold back yourself and whatever happened to you to say out loud. “Don’t hold yourselves back. This is a moment for change, so your silence will only hold barriers to its evolution. Speak out. Shout out from the top of the roof.”
After listening to all the allegations, Alok Nath in an interview to Zoom, said, “What do I have to do with people? People will say anything to spoil the image. Leave my image, whatever has been said, it is absurd.” Adding to this, he said, “At one time she used to be such a good friend… today she said such a big thing. In a way, it was me who made her what she is. It is useless to react on the allegations as in today’s world whatever a woman says, only that will be considered. In such a situation, it would be wrong to say anything.