Lipstick Under My Burkha actress Aahana Kumra has accused filmmaker Sajid Khan of indecent behaviour as well.
Her accusations come after four women accused the director of sexual harassment last month as part of the #MeToo movement in India, which started after Tanushree Dutta accused actor Nana Patekar of sexually harassing her 10 years ago.
Aahana said in an interview to The Times of India that while Sajid never touched her, he did call her to his house and his room and asked her inappropriate questions.
“I had a meeting with Sajid Khan about a year ago, knowing the fact that he is a shady guy. I met him and he did the same thing that Saloni (Chopra) has written about him. Same drill— you go to his house, you are escorted to his room which is pretty dark. He makes you watch what he’s watching,” she said.
Aahana Kumra clarified that while Sajid did not make unwelcome advances at her, he continued with the conversation in his own room.
She said, "He did not make a pass at me but he wanted to get to know me. When I asked him why can't we sit outside, he said that his mother was sitting there so why trouble her. I asked him to switch on the lights of the room, which he did," she said.
Aahana also went on to say that she was assertive in how she responded to him and let him know that her mother was a police woman.
“But he still asked me bizarre questions like, ‘Would you have sex with a dog if I gave you Rs 100 crore’? He didn’t touch me,” she added.
Sajid has been accused of sexual harassment by three actresses and a journalist.
He has since stepped down from his position as the director of Housefull 4.
In a Twitter post, the director explained his decision to step down as the director of the film as a 'moral responsibility'.
He wrote, "In the wake of the allegations against me and the pressure being put on my family, my producer and the stars of my film Housefull 4, I must take the moral responsibility of stepping down from my directorial post, till the time I can allay the allegations and prove the truth."
The film’s lead actor Akshay Kumar had also earlier tweeted that he would not work with ‘any proven offenders and all those who have been subjugated to harassment should be heard and given the justice they deserve’.
In the interview, Aahana Kumra also accused casting director Anirban Blah of making sexual advances at her.
Anirban has previously been accused of sexual harassment by four women.
“Anirban Blah met me at the lobby of a five star hotel and said, ‘There’s a room here. Let’s negotiate there.’ I walked out of that meeting because I wasn’t comfortable. It didn’t go down well with me. That’s ‘normal’ conversation he has with women. The day I chatted with him, I was shaken,” she said.
However, Aahana says the intention behind taking names isn’t to punish the perpetrators. “I read Anirban’s letter and I am glad that at least he accepted it,” she said.
The #MeToo movement in India was sparked by Tanushree Dutta’s allegations of sexual harassment against actor Nana Patekar. Subsequently, several women have come out and shared their ordeal and have talked about workplace harassment.
Vikas Bahl, Subash Ghai, Rajat Kapoor, Alok Nath, Anu Malik among others are the other alleged sexual harassers.
