#MeToo: Filmmaker Rajkumar Hirani accused of sexual abuse by woman who worked with him in Sanju

According to media reports, the woman accused that the popular Indian director had sexually abused her on more than one occasion over a six-month period between March and September 2018.

Much of the alleged assault and abuse took place during the post-production work of Sanju, the Sanjay Dutt biopic which released on June 29, 2018, the woman alleged in an email dated November 3, 2018, addressed to Sanju co-producer and Hirani’s close business associate Bollywood producer Vidhu Vinod Chopra, reported Huffington Post India.

Chopra’s wife Anupama, who is the director of the Mumbai Film Festival (MAMI) and a director of Vinod Chopra Films Pvt. Ltd, was also marked on the emailed complaint, as was scriptwriter Abhijat Joshi, who has scripted most of Hirani’s movies including Sanju, PK and Lage Raho Munna Bhai, and Shelly Chopra, Vidhu Vinod’s sister, and the director of the upcoming Ek Ladki Ko Dekha To Aisa Laga, reported the newspaper.

Meanwhile, the filmmaker has reportedly denied all the allegations levelled against him.

“At the outset, our client states that the allegations made against him are false, mischievous, scandalous, motivated and defamatory,” Desai said in an email dated December 5, 2018 to HuffPost India.

The woman said Hirani had first made a sexually suggestive remark on Apr 9 last year.

She alleged that the director sexually assaulted her at his home-office.

The email the woman wrote said: “I remember forming these words on my lips – 'Sir. This is wrong…Because of this power structure. You being the absolute power and me being a mere assistant, a nobody – I will never be able to express myself to you.'”

She further said: "My mind, body and heart were grossly violated that night and for the next 6 months,” the email said.

“I had no choice but to be polite to him,” the woman told HuffPost India. “It was unbearable but the reason I endured it all, until I couldn’t, was because I didn’t want my job to be taken away from me, and work to be questioned. Ever.”

“I was worried that if I left midway, it would be impossible to find another job in this industry if he were to speak badly about my work,” the woman said. “Because if Hirani said I wasn’t good, everybody would listen. My future would be in jeopardy.”

Hirani denies charges:

Responding to the allegations through his lawyer Anand Desai, the filmmaker denied all charges made against him.

“These communications establish that the allegations made against our client to you, that have given rise to your queries, are false and completely unjustified.” Hirani’s lawyer Desai said in his reply dated December 5, 2018, in response to queries sent by HuffPost India.

Hirani is known for his socially relevant movies:

Rajkumar Hirani is known for making movies like  Munna Bhai M.B.B.S, Lage Raho Munna Bhai, 3 Idiots and PK.

His last released movie was Sanju. It was based on the life of actor Sanjay Dutt.

Actor Ranbir Kapoor played the character of Sanjay in the movie.

#MeToo movement lashes India:

Following Hollywood, #MeToo movement had also created ripples in Bollywood this year. The campaign began with actress Tanushree Dutta's allegations of sexual misconduct against Horn Ok Pleassss co-star Nana Patekar. Following Tanushree's claim, several actresses belonging to different generations came out in public to share their experiences of sexual harassments and assaults. One of the allegations, which raised storm, was brought by writer-director-producer Vinta Nanda against onscreen 'Sanskari' actor Alok Nath. Nanda alleged that Nath had sexually violated her years ago.

Image: Rajkumar Hirani Twitter page