Payal accuses Anurag of sexual harassment

The actress said filmmaker Anurag Kashyap behaved inappropriately with her. The Oosaravelli star’s video has gone viral. However, the director denies the allegations

Actress Payal Ghosh, on Saturday, shared that the traumatic incident happened in September 2014, when the film Bombay Velvet was in the making. Payal said she’s speaking about it now as she could not endure the filmmaker’s double standards about f a v o u r i n g women.

“I have been seeing Anurag talking about women with great respect and dignity, but I know what he is. Recently too, he was speaking about favouring women, and that has infuriated me. Every time I see him talk nice things about women, I get that creepy feeling inside. So I have decided to spill the beans and be upfront,” explains Payal, adding that the incident had been haunting her ever since. The Patel Ki Punjabi Shaadi star goes on to add that she wanted to speak up at least now so that even a middleclass girl who comes to Mumbai with aspirations can voice out her opinions.

“If we keep on getting scared, then these things will keep happening. I cannot allow such people in my life. I’ve also heard Anurag has done such things to several other girls,” explains Payal.

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The actress told us that her friends in the industry as well as her manager had stopped her from sharing the incident when # MeToo moment kicked off in India in 2018. “I wanted to call out his name back then, but fearing that they might harm me and my career, I kept calm. I did not register any complaint against him either. But I had posted my experience on my social media without taking the name,” she reveals, adding that she was not emotionally and psychologically ready to cope up with the issue.

Is she worried now that her revelation might hamper her chances in Bollywood? Saying she doesn’t give a damn anymore, she adds, “If I am destined to get offers, I will. But I have seen enough and heard enough of such sexual harassment about him, so I decided to speak up.”

Then adding that she has always been a courageous girl, Payal stated that the roles she plays are completely different from what she is in real life. “I don’t want people to define me for the kind of roles they see me play on screen,” she expresses, adding that she is sharing her story only to make people aware about the filmmaker’s creepy acts. “I’ve worked with several Bollywood and Tollywood directors too, but they have been very professional.”

The Prayanam star also added that she is game to take on the detractors of Anurag. “So far, I have not got any threats from anyone. But I have requested Prime Minister Modiji ( via Twitter) to provide me security and initiate action against such demons,” Payal tells. Payal’s family is based in Kolkata and didn’t know about the incident till she revealed it, she tells us.

I have been seeing Anurag talking about women with respect and dignity, but I know what he is. Recently too, he was speaking about favouring women, and that has infuriated me. Every time I see him talk nice things about women, I get that creepy feeling inside. So I decided to spill the beans and be upfront.

— Payal Ghosh, actress