Ranveer-Deepika condemn sexual harassment in Bollywood; Padmaavat star calls #MeToo beyond gender

While speaking at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit, Ranveer indirectly condemned the alleged sexual harassment which actress Tanushree had endured years ago.

Days ago, Tanushree had alleged that actor Nana Patekar misbehaved with her on the sets of 2008 movie Horn OK Pleassss.

Without taking the actress' name, Ranveer said: "....If it has happened then it takes a lot of courage. If it has happened, it is absolutely wrong and I condemn it. Harassment to anyone at any place is wrong."

Accusing Patekar, Tanushree told Zoom TV, "Everyone knows about Nana Patekar that he has always been disrespectful towards women. People in the industry know about this and that he has beaten actresses, he has molested them, his behaviour with women has always been crude but no publication has printed anything about it."

The actress said she was supposed to perform a special dance number for in the movie.

She told News 18 that Patekar made her uncomfortable to the extent that she eventually had to opt out of doing the song.  

Speaking about the #MeToo campaign, which was launched after the sexual allegations brought against producer Harvey Weinstein by several actress, Deepika said the movement is beyond gender.

She said: "MeToo movement is not about gender. It is the victory of right over wrong. MeToo should not be only about gender."

Actor Nana Patekar's lawyer Rajendra Shirodhkar on Monday said a legal notice has been sent to actress Tanushree Dutta for accusing his client of sexually harassing the latter.

Shirodhkar said the allegations against Patekar are false.

Several actors including Priyanka Chopra, Parineeti Chopra, Farhan Akhtar, Sonam Kapoor Ahuja stood beside Tanushree over the issue.

On the work front, Ranveer will be seen in Simba, which is expected to hit the big screens in December.

Deepika, who was last seen in Padmaavat early this year, will next work with Meghna Gulzar in the latter's next project. The 32-year old actress will portray the character of an acid-attack survivor.