Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Chitrangada Singh | Photo Credit: Instagram

Bollywood actor Chitrangada Singh, who will next be seen in Bazaar alongside Saif Ali Khan and debut actor Rohan Mehra, recalled the unfortunate incident that happened to her on the sets of the 2016-released film Babumoshai Bandookbaaz.

According to a report in Bollywood Hungama, the actor has shared that her co-star, Nawazuddin Siddiqui, didn't come forward to support her and rather waited for the storm to blow over as the producers and the director continued to harass her for a certain scene. The actor was reportedly asked to do a love-making sequence with the film's leading man and upon her protest, Chitrangada was subjected to taunts until she had to put her foot down. The report states that Chitrangada was asked to “take off her sari, get on top of her hero and rub herself”.

She has been quoted as saying, “I pleaded that this was not in my comfort zone. I said I was wearing only a petticoat underneath the saree. The director told me not to fuss and just do what was required. I was intimidated bullied and threatened into doing it. Some crew members were mortified. But, Nawaz just sat there waiting for the storm to blow over.” (Also read: Chitrangda Singh supports Tanushree Dutta, says inspiring to see people like her coming out in the open)

The film's director Kushan Nandy later paid her a visit and “he didn’t ask me if I was okay. He just asked, ‘Are you doing the scene?’ I said no. He left. Nawaz could’ve taken a stand against my harassment. He didn’t. When empowered men in the film industry do not take a stand, the harassers feel encouraged.” She added that as much as she'd want to forget about the incident, it just refuses to go away saying, “I had spoken about it when it happened two years ago. But, I was declared ‘troublesome’ and ‘moody’ and made to pack my bags.” (Also read: Men who have done wrong should be scared: Chitrangada Singh on #MeToo movement)

She also added that unless women in the film industry join forces against exploitation, it would continue to happen pointing out that soon after her exit, another actor, Bidita Bag, stepped in her place. “How can men take our voices of dissent seriously when another actress walks right into a role after one actress says she’s been harassed?” she questioned. Adding, “It is true that women are the worst enemies of their own kind. Even when I was being harassed on the sets of Babumoshai Bandookbaaz, the film’s lady producer was there making things worse for me.”

In the wake of the MeToo movement, several women from film industry and beyond have shared their stories, named and shamed the offenders and a few of them have also taken the legal course to get justice.

