The Bollywood-Kangana Ranaut discourse touched a new low on Sunday, as the film “Queen” fame actress took up cudgels for model-turned actress Payal Ghosh a day after the latter made sexual assault charge against Anurag Kashyap, and washed dirty linen in public by targeting the filmmaker.
The public spat gained currency as National Commission for Women (NCW) chairperson Rekha Sharma threw her weight behind Payal Ghosh and assured the latter the NCW would look into the complaint against Anurag Kashyap over an alleged sexual assault incident that allegedly took place in 2014-15.
Though a video message, the NCW chief extended her support to Payal saying: “I saw the tweet yesterday that Payal Ghosh has alleged that in 2015 Anurag Kashyap had sexually harassed her. This is a shocking revelation....I wrote to her that if you wish to complain, you can send a detailed complaint to me, and we will take action accordingly. We will also write to the police....We stand with her till the probe is on, till it is presented before the court. I want to tell Payal Ghosh that NCW with her.”
Much to Anurag’s comfort, his first ex-wife Aarti Bajaj rushed to the support of filmmaker who she called a “rock star” and said Payal’s was “cheapest stunt I have seen till now”. Others like actress Taapsee Pannu and filmmaker Anubhav Sinha threw their lot with Anurag.
After their spat over Rhea Chakraborty (whom the filmmaker had supported her earlier and the actress opposed in the Sushant Singh Rajput death case), the second round of verbal battle between Anurag and Kangana broke out a day after Payal – who made a debut in Bollywood in “Patel Ki Punjabi Shaadi” (2017) after acting in half a dozen south Indian films – went to town through a tweet seeking Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s intervention over an alleged incident that took place in 2014-15.
“@anuragkashyap72 has forced himself on me and extremely badly. @PMOIndia @narendramodi ji, kindly take action and let the country see the demon behind this creative guy. I am aware that it can harm me and my security is at risk. Pls help!,” Payal tweeted.
“People who are saying that it's for politics and that I am misusing the situation. Imagine ( god forbid) your sister or daughter in my position, it can even be the mother.. and then let's talk. You would go to war against such men. Isn't it ? PERIOD!!,” Payal said in another tweet.
Among other things Payal alleged in an interview aired by news channel ABN Telugu that Anurag Kashyap sexually assaulted her in 2014-15 that the latter did an inappropriate gesture while seeking a sexual act from her, after inviting her into another room. Payal also claimed that Anurag had allegedly boasted about other actresses agreeing to his similar demands, and that many were ready to ‘sleep with him just to share a frame with Ranbir Kapoor’. Anurag’s ambitious film Bombay Velvet had not released then.
The “Manikarnika” fame jumped to Payal’s rescue and put out a series of tweets against Anurag Kashyap who, she said, “Anurag self admittedly has never been monogamous” and “Anurag is very much capable of doing what #PayalGhosh suggesting”.
“Anurag is very much capable of doing what #PayalGhosh suggesting, he cheated on all his partners, self admittedly has never been monogamous. Phantomwas full of womanisers many #MeToo accused, I supported those victims before also and librals started smear campaigns against me,” Kangana tweeted.
“As far as I know Anurag self admittedly has never been monogamous even when he was married to various people, what Anurag did to Payal is a common practice in Bullywood, treating struggling outsider girls like sex workers comes naturally to them #AnuragKashyap #PayalGhosh,” she said in another tweet.
“Bullywood is full of sexual predators who have fake and dummy marriages they expect a new hot young girl to make them happy every day, they do the same to young vulnerable men also,I have settled my scores my way I don’t need #MeToo but most girls do #PayalGhosh #AnuragKashyap,” she tweeted.
Kangana, who has been reckless in speaking her mind out in recent weeks, came with an utterly low-taste tweet, saying: “What #PayalGhosh says many big heroes have done this to me also, suddenly flash their genitals after locking van or room door or in a party during a friendly dance on the dance floor stick his tongue in your mouth, take appointment for work and come home but force himself on you”.
On his part, Anurag has denied Paya’s charge that he had ‘forced himself on (her)’ when she met him for professional reasons, some years ago.
He called the charge “absolutely baseless” and said that he neither indulges in nor condones such kind of behaviour.
Anurag hit back at Payal through tweets “Kya baat hai, itna samay le liya mujhe chup karwane ki koshish mein. Chalo koi nahin. Mujhe chup karaate karaate itna jhooth bol gaye ki aurat hote hue doosri auraton ko bhi sang ghaseet liya. Thodi toh maryada rakhiye, madam. Bas yahi kahunga ki jo bhi aarop hain aap ke sab bebuniyaad hain (Wow, it took you so long to try to silence me. Never mind. In the process of silencing me, you dragged other women in this, despite being a woman. Please have some dignity, madam. All I want to say is that every allegation is baseless)”
Anurag’s ex-wife Aarti Bajaj took to Instagram to extend support to the filmmaker whom she called a “rock star”, said Payal’s was “cheapest stunt I have seen till now” and vouched for Anurag’s efforts to create the safest place for the women who work with him.
“First wife here.. You are a rockstar @anuragkashyap10. Keep empowering women as you do and the safest place you create for all of them. I see it first hand with our daughter. There is no integrity left and the world is full of losers and no brains baying for blood of anyone who has a voice,” Aarti said in her Instagram post.
“If everybody spends the energy which they use in hating others constructively this world will be a better place. Cheapest stunt I have seen till now. First it made me angry then I laughed so hard as it cannot come more framed then this. I am sorry that you have to go through this .That’s the level of them. You stay HIGH and keep using your voice. We love you,” Aarati added.
Actress Taapsee Pannu threw her weight behind Anurag in the face of allegations made against him by Payal. Sharing a picture with Anurag, Taapsee wrote on Instagram, “For you, my friend, are the biggest feminist I know. See you on the sets soon of yet another piece of art that shows how powerful and significant women are in the world you create. :)”
Anurag had directed Taapsee in Manmarziyaan and also produced her film, Saand Ki Aankh.
Meanwhile, Bhojpuri actor and BJP MP Ravi Kisan said: “I didn't expect such words from Anurag Kashyap. It's no secret I am a devotee of Shiva so I chant his name. I'm saddened he would not support me on this issue of the war on drugs & say that I smoked up & am now clean just because I'm a minister, which I'm not”.
