The #MeToo wave in Malayalam cinema has shocked everyone in the film industry and since then many cases of sexual assault and harassment have come forward. Now, television actress Shilpa Shinde has also alleged sexual assault by a Bollywood actor-producer during her struggling days.
In an interview with News18, without naming anyone, Shilpa Shinde claimed being sexually assaulted by a Bollywood producer and actor and said, "It was during my struggling days, around 1998-99. I cannot take names, but they told me, ‘Aap yeh kapde pehno aur yeh scene karo’ (wear these clothes and do this scene). I didn’t wear those clothes. In the scene, he told me he was my boss, and I had to seduce him."
She further recalled, "I was very innocent then, so I did the scene. That person tried to force himself on me, and I got so scared. I pushed him away and ran out. The security staff realised what had happened and asked me to leave immediately. They thought I would make a scene and call for help."
She further added that she cannot take his name and said, "He was from the Hindi film industry. I agreed to do the scene because he was also an actor, I’m not lying, but I cannot take his name. His children are probably a little younger than me, and if I name him, they will suffer too.”
Shilpa also recounted an encounter with the same producer years later. “After a few years, I met him again, and he spoke to me kindly. He didn’t recognize me and even offered me a film role. I refused. He still doesn’t remember me.”
Shilpa further reflected on the issue of sexual harassment and said, "These things happen to everyone. Some have run away like I did. We, as actors, have talked about it, and others have told me they’ve faced similar situations, even with well-known figures.”
Claiming that similar experiences have happened to many others in the industry, Shilpa concluded, “When people talk about sexual harassment, I strongly believe that yes, you may have been approached, but you also have the choice to say no. You can choose not to be part of it. This happens to everyone.”
Shilpa Shinde is currently impressing everyone with her fearless avatar in Rohit Shetty's reality game show Khatron Ke Khiladi. She is competing with other celebrities including Abhishek Kumar, Nimrit Kaur Ahluwalia, Krishna Shroff, Gashmeer Mahajan, Karanveer Mehra, and others.
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