#MeToo: Chitrangda alleges Nawazuddin Siddiqui didn’t stand against my harassment

Bollywood actress Chitrangda Singh recalled her harrowing experience while shooting for Nawazuddin Siddiqui starrer 2016 film Babumoshai Bandookbaaz.

If anything to go by the report, Chitrangada was asked to ‘take off her sari, get on top of her hero and rub herself’, but she protested.

When she protested and had spoken about it, she was subjected to taunts until she put her foot down and was declared troublesome and moody.

Talking about the incident to Bollywood Hungama, Chitrangda Singh said that, “Nawazuddin Siddiqui didn’t come forward to take a stand for her. She said instead of extending support to her, he waited for the storm to blow over.”

“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,” she has been quoted by Bollywood Hungama as saying.

The actress went on and said, following the incident film director Kushan Nandy didn’t even inquire if she was okay. “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.

Pointing out that Bidita Bag who was soon roped in for the same role, she said women need to join hands and extend support to each other. “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.

Also read: Mahesh Bhatt kissed his daughter and wanted to marry her