Former Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein pleaded not guilty on Monday to a new indictment ahead of his upcoming criminal trial, in a case where producers have accused him of rape and predatory sexual assault. 
 
Weinstein, 67, entered his plea in a New York state court in Manhattan, where his trial was delayed by four months, to Jan. 6, 2020. The indictment was not immediately available. 
 
Donna Rotunno, one of Weinstein`s lawyers, said after the hearing that Weinstein would seek to dismiss the indictment, calling the case "weak." 
 
The office of Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance has accused Weinstein of having sexually assaulted two women, in 2006 and 2013. 
 
Rotunno said the new indictment was intended to allow a third woman to testify in the case. 
 
Lawyer Gloria Allred said in a statement on Monday that she represents that woman, actress Annabella Sciorra, known for her role in the HBO series 'The Sopranos.' 
 
"I comment Annabella for her willingness to take the stand and answer questions under oath," she said. Weinstein had faced a Sept. 9 trial date. 
 
Once among Hollywood`s most powerful producers, he has pleaded not guilty to five criminal charges in the earlier indictment, including rape and predatory sexual assault. He could face a life sentence if convicted. 
 
The two women in the earlier indictment are among roughly 70 who have accused Weinstein of sexual misconduct dating back decades. Weinstein has denied the allegations and said any sexual encounters were consensual. 
 
Lawyers for Weinstein have asked that the trial be moved, perhaps to Suffolk County on Long Island or to Albany County upstate, because intense media scrutiny in New York City would make it impossible for him to get a fair trial there, according to a court filing.

Former Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein pleaded not guilty on Monday to a new indictment ahead of his upcoming criminal trial, in a case where producers have accused him of rape and predatory sexual assault.

Former Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein pleaded not guilty on Monday to a new indictment ahead of his upcoming criminal trial, in a case where producers have accused him of rape and predatory sexual assault. Weinstein, 67, entered his plea in a New York state court in Manhattan, where his trial was delayed by four months, to Jan. 6, 2020. The indictment was not immediately available. Donna Rotunno, one of Weinstein`s lawyers, said after the hearing that Weinstein would seek to dismiss the indictment, calling the case "weak." The office of Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance has accused Weinstein of having sexually assaulted two women, in 2006 and 2013. Rotunno said the new indictment was intended to allow a third woman to testify in the case. Lawyer Gloria Allred said in a statement on Monday that she represents that woman, actress Annabella Sciorra, known for her role in the HBO series 'The Sopranos.' "I comment Annabella for her willingness to take the stand and answer questions under oath," she said. Weinstein had faced a Sept. 9 trial date. Once among Hollywood`s most powerful producers, he has pleaded not guilty to five criminal charges in the earlier indictment, including rape and predatory sexual assault. He could face a life sentence if convicted. The two women in the earlier indictment are among roughly 70 who have accused Weinstein of sexual misconduct dating back decades. Weinstein has denied the allegations and said any sexual encounters were consensual. Lawyers for Weinstein have asked that the trial be moved, perhaps to Suffolk County on Long Island or to Albany County upstate, because intense media scrutiny in New York City would make it impossible for him to get a fair trial there, according to a court filing.

Harvey Weinstein pleads not guilty, rape trial delayed to January

Fallen movie mogul Harvey Weinstein, who is awaiting trial on two sexual assault charges, will return to court next week to hear a new indictment against him, prosecutors said Thursday. 
 
Weinstein, 67, will appear in a New York state court on Monday, said a spokesman for the Manhattan District Attorney, declining to comment on the details of the indictment. 
 
He added, however, that it did not contain new charges and that the film producer's trial would start as scheduled on September 9.&nbsp; 
The indictment is likely to allow another alleged victim of Weinstein to testify at the trial. 
 
Accusations against Weinstein, 67, propelled America's #MeToo movement in 2017. 
 
Once one of the most powerful men in Hollywood, Weinstein has been accused of harassment and assault by more than 80 women, including stars such as Angelina Jolie and Ashley Judd. 
 
But he only faces charges involving two women -- one who alleges he raped her in 2013, the other that he forced her to perform oral sex on him in 2006. 
 
A lawyer for Weinstein confirmed last week that prosecutors had asked a grand jury to approve a new indictment against him to include the allegations of a third woman. 
 
US media have reported that it is actress Annabella Sciorra, known for her role in hit television series in "The Sopranos." 
 
In an interview with The New Yorker magazine published in October 2017, she accused Weinstein of raping her after he forced himself into her apartment in the 1990s.&nbsp; 
 
Damon Cheronis, a lawyer for Weinstein, said adding new allegations so close to trial was "unconstitutional" and that the defense would ask for the indictment to be dropped. 
 
Weinstein's attorneys have also requested the trial be moved, arguing that intense coverage in New York's tabloids has meant he won't get a fair trial.&nbsp;A decision on that is pending.

Fallen movie mogul Harvey Weinstein, who is awaiting trial on two sexual assault charges, will return to court next week to hear a new indictment against him, prosecutors said Thursday.

Fallen movie mogul Harvey Weinstein, who is awaiting trial on two sexual assault charges, will return to court next week to hear a new indictment against him, prosecutors said Thursday. Weinstein, 67, will appear in a New York state court on Monday, said a spokesman for the Manhattan District Attorney, declining to comment on the details of the indictment. He added, however, that it did not contain new charges and that the film producer's trial would start as scheduled on September 9. The indictment is likely to allow another alleged victim of Weinstein to testify at the trial. Accusations against Weinstein, 67, propelled America's #MeToo movement in 2017. Once one of the most powerful men in Hollywood, Weinstein has been accused of harassment and assault by more than 80 women, including stars such as Angelina Jolie and Ashley Judd. But he only faces charges involving two women -- one who alleges he raped her in 2013, the other that he forced her to perform oral sex on him in 2006. A lawyer for Weinstein confirmed last week that prosecutors had asked a grand jury to approve a new indictment against him to include the allegations of a third woman. US media have reported that it is actress Annabella Sciorra, known for her role in hit television series in "The Sopranos." In an interview with The New Yorker magazine published in October 2017, she accused Weinstein of raping her after he forced himself into her apartment in the 1990s. Damon Cheronis, a lawyer for Weinstein, said adding new allegations so close to trial was "unconstitutional" and that the defense would ask for the indictment to be dropped. Weinstein's attorneys have also requested the trial be moved, arguing that intense coverage in New York's tabloids has meant he won't get a fair trial. A decision on that is pending.

Harvey Weinstein to face new indictment in court

Massachusetts prosecutors on Wednesday dropped a criminal case accusing former 'House of Cards' star Kevin Spacey of <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/kevin-spacey-charged-with-sexually-abusing-18-year-old-boy-186267">sexually assaulting an 18-year-old man </a>at a Nantucket bar in 2016 after the alleged victim refused to testify. 
 
Prosecutors said they made the decision to drop the felony indecent assault and battery charge against the Oscar winner after the alleged victim invoked his right under the US Constitution against giving self-incriminating testimony. 
 
Spacey`s lawyers had previously accused the man of deleting text messages that would support his defence. The man invoked his Fifth Amendment rights during a hearing earlier this month concerning the whereabouts of his cell phone, which was missing. 
 
A lawyer for Spacey, 59, did not respond to requests for comment.&nbsp; 
 
Spacey, who has won two Oscars, including the best actor Academy Award in 2000 for his role in 'American Beauty,' had pleaded not guilty to the charge. His lawyers had called the allegations "patently false." 
 
Mitchell Garabedian, the accuser`s lawyer, said in a statement that his client had "shown an enormous amount of courage under difficult circumstances." 
 
The case`s filing last year marked one of the relatively rare criminal prosecutions of the #MeToo era, which has seen mostly women reveal widespread patterns of sexual harassment and abuse in entertainment, business and politics. 
 
The allegations emerged after another actor accused Spacey of trying to seduce him three decades ago when he was 14, leading Netflix to drop Spacey from 'House of Cards,' and to his scenes being edited out of the film 'All the Money in the World.'

Spacey first became embroiled in controversy in October 2017 when actor Anthony Rapp accused him of trying to seduce him in 1986, when Rapp was 14. Spacey apologised for his inappropriate conduct with Rapp. 
 
The Nantucket accuser told police Spacey had bought him several rounds of beer and whiskey at the Club Car Restaurant on the island in July 2016 when he was 18 and, according to charging documents, said at one point, "Let`s get drunk." 
 
As they stood next to a piano, Spacey groped the man, he told investigators. 
 
Spacey`s accuser sued on June 26, but dropped the lawsuit a week later ahead of a July 8 hearing in Nantucket District Court regarding his phone, which his lawyer said he could not find after being ordered to turn it over to Spacey`s attorneys. 
 
He then invoked his Fifth Amendment rights after taking questions from an attorney for Spacey about whether text messages were deleted from the phone before it was given to investigators.

Massachusetts prosecutors on Wednesday dropped a criminal case accusing former 'House of Cards' star Kevin Spacey of sexually assaulting an 18-year-old man at a Nantucket bar in 2016 after the alleged victim refused to testify.

Massachusetts prosecutors on Wednesday dropped a criminal case accusing former 'House of Cards' star Kevin Spacey of sexually assaulting an 18-year-old man at a Nantucket bar in 2016 after the alleged victim refused to testify. Prosecutors said they made the decision to drop the felony indecent assault and battery charge against the Oscar winner after the alleged victim invoked his right under the US Constitution against giving self-incriminating testimony. Spacey`s lawyers had previously accused the man of deleting text messages that would support his defence. The man invoked his Fifth Amendment rights during a hearing earlier this month concerning the whereabouts of his cell phone, which was missing. A lawyer for Spacey, 59, did not respond to requests for comment. Spacey, who has won two Oscars, including the best actor Academy Award in 2000 for his role in 'American Beauty,' had pleaded not guilty to the charge. His lawyers had called the allegations "patently false." Mitchell Garabedian, the accuser`s lawyer, said in a statement that his client had "shown an enormous amount of courage under difficult circumstances." The case`s filing last year marked one of the relatively rare criminal prosecutions of the #MeToo era, which has seen mostly women reveal widespread patterns of sexual harassment and abuse in entertainment, business and politics. The allegations emerged after another actor accused Spacey of trying to seduce him three decades ago when he was 14, leading Netflix to drop Spacey from 'House of Cards,' and to his scenes being edited out of the film 'All the Money in the World.' Spacey first became embroiled in controversy in October 2017 when actor Anthony Rapp accused him of trying to seduce him in 1986, when Rapp was 14. Spacey apologised for his inappropriate conduct with Rapp. The Nantucket accuser told police Spacey had bought him several rounds of beer and whiskey at the Club Car Restaurant on the island in July 2016 when he was 18 and, according to charging documents, said at one point, "Let`s get drunk." As they stood next to a piano, Spacey groped the man, he told investigators. Spacey`s accuser sued on June 26, but dropped the lawsuit a week later ahead of a July 8 hearing in Nantucket District Court regarding his phone, which his lawyer said he could not find after being ordered to turn it over to Spacey`s attorneys. He then invoked his Fifth Amendment rights after taking questions from an attorney for Spacey about whether text messages were deleted from the phone before it was given to investigators.

Kevin Spacey sexual assault case: Massachusetts prosecutors drop charges against the actor

There's been an unexpected twist to Kevin Spacey's sexual assault case. The man who accused the American actor of groping him at a bar in 2016 may now be forced to testify about his allegedly missing cell phone and the assault case against Spacey might just get dismissed due to the missing phone.&nbsp; 
The former `House of Cards` star`s defense attorneys claimed that they require the phone in order to recover text messages that they allege the accuser deleted that would bolster Spacey`s case.&nbsp;

Last month, the accuser`s lawyer claimed that the phone was missing and that the team was trying to recover backup copies of the contents on the device.A Massachusetts judge had ordered the accuser, as well as the accuser`s parents and his lawyer to appear in court soon if the phone wasn`t able to be recovered.

Spacey is accused of groping the then-18-year-old man at the Club Car Restaurant in July 2016. The man also accused the actor of trying to ply him into sexual acts with alcohol. 
 
In text messages obtained by the prosecution, the accuser told his girlfriend, "Spacey grabbed my d--k like 8 times."

Spacey has pleaded not guilty to a charge of indecent assault and battery. The accuser dropped a civil lawsuit against the actor last week. The lawsuit was dropped "with prejudice," meaning it cannot be re-filed later. The man voluntarily dropped the suit, leading legal experts to speculate that a monetary settlement may have been reached. 
 
"Money is a great motivator for an individual not to follow through," said William Korman, defense lawyer and former Suffolk County DA`s Office prosecutor in Massachusetts. 
 
"Maybe the prosecution said, `It`s either about money or it`s about a crime, but it can`t be about both, and you have to make a decision on where you want to go with this,` "defense attorney and former prosecutor David Yanetti noted."It`s clear something unusual is going on here," Yanetti added. 
 
This is not the only sexual assault lawsuit that has been filed against the Oscar winner. He has also been charged with indecent assault and battery. While the cases are still pending, the actor has vehemently denied the allegations.&nbsp;

(With inputs from ANI)

There's been an unexpected twist to Kevin Spacey's sexual assault case. The man who accused the American actor of groping him at a bar in 2016 may now be forced to testify about his allegedly missing cell phone and the assault case against Spacey might just get dismissed due to the missing phone.

There's been an unexpected twist to Kevin Spacey's sexual assault case. The man who accused the American actor of groping him at a bar in 2016 may now be forced to testify about his allegedly missing cell phone and the assault case against Spacey might just get dismissed due to the missing phone. The former `House of Cards` star`s defense attorneys claimed that they require the phone in order to recover text messages that they allege the accuser deleted that would bolster Spacey`s case. Last month, the accuser`s lawyer claimed that the phone was missing and that the team was trying to recover backup copies of the contents on the device.A Massachusetts judge had ordered the accuser, as well as the accuser`s parents and his lawyer to appear in court soon if the phone wasn`t able to be recovered. Spacey is accused of groping the then-18-year-old man at the Club Car Restaurant in July 2016. The man also accused the actor of trying to ply him into sexual acts with alcohol. In text messages obtained by the prosecution, the accuser told his girlfriend, "Spacey grabbed my d--k like 8 times." Spacey has pleaded not guilty to a charge of indecent assault and battery. The accuser dropped a civil lawsuit against the actor last week. The lawsuit was dropped "with prejudice," meaning it cannot be re-filed later. The man voluntarily dropped the suit, leading legal experts to speculate that a monetary settlement may have been reached. "Money is a great motivator for an individual not to follow through," said William Korman, defense lawyer and former Suffolk County DA`s Office prosecutor in Massachusetts. "Maybe the prosecution said, `It`s either about money or it`s about a crime, but it can`t be about both, and you have to make a decision on where you want to go with this,` "defense attorney and former prosecutor David Yanetti noted."It`s clear something unusual is going on here," Yanetti added. This is not the only sexual assault lawsuit that has been filed against the Oscar winner. He has also been charged with indecent assault and battery. While the cases are still pending, the actor has vehemently denied the allegations. (With inputs from ANI)

Kevin Spacey sexual assault case may get dropped, accuser could be forced to testify about missing phone

The global #MeToo movement not just outed perpetrators across industries but also sensitized filmmakers in what to present to the audience on screen.&nbsp;

Actress Carice van Houten, who played &nbsp;Melisandre - The Red Woman, recently revealed that the makers consciously cut down on the nudity after the #MeToo movement gained prominence globally. The actress stated the changing climate made the makers reflect on the R-rated content, which was one of the talking points about the series when it began.&nbsp;

In a recent interview, Deadline magazine asked the actress if #MeToo had a role to play in less nudity in the show's later seasons. To which the actress said, "Yes. It also showed that you don't need it."

Van Houten also added that she was not really comfortable with the nudity on the show.

"It wasn't my favourite thing in the world at all. But yes, in Black Book(her next project) I experienced nudity on set. The Dutch are quite open-minded, we're a bit easier with that. But it's never comfortable being the only one undressed on set. It was before I had a child.

"I would be more uncomfortable now. The times have changed in many ways. Back then, it was all a little overwhelming. No one forced me into anything, but in hindsight, I might have been a little more cautious with it."

Earlier seasons of 'Game Of Throne' were called out for showing nudity.

The prequel of the show, tentatively titled 'The Long Night', is already in production, but the actress has stated she won't be returning to the show as Melisandre.&nbsp;

"Who knows. I guess you could see a very young Melisandre or something like that. That could be fun. But not in the shape of me. No one has contacted me about it. There are so many great characters, but I personally would have loved to see more of Melisandre's background," she said.

The hugely popular series came to an end in May 2019 after completing eight successful seasons.&nbsp;

The global #MeToo movement not just outed perpetrators across industries but also sensitized filmmakers in what to present to the audience on screen. Actress Carice van Houten, who played Melisandre - The Red Woman, recently revealed that the makers consciously cut down on the nudity after the #MeToo movement gained prominence globally.

The global #MeToo movement not just outed perpetrators across industries but also sensitized filmmakers in what to present to the audience on screen. Actress Carice van Houten, who played Melisandre - The Red Woman, recently revealed that the makers consciously cut down on the nudity after the #MeToo movement gained prominence globally. The actress stated the changing climate made the makers reflect on the R-rated content, which was one of the talking points about the series when it began. In a recent interview, Deadline magazine asked the actress if #MeToo had a role to play in less nudity in the show's later seasons. To which the actress said, "Yes. It also showed that you don't need it." Van Houten also added that she was not really comfortable with the nudity on the show. "It wasn't my favourite thing in the world at all. But yes, in Black Book(her next project) I experienced nudity on set. The Dutch are quite open-minded, we're a bit easier with that. But it's never comfortable being the only one undressed on set. It was before I had a child. "I would be more uncomfortable now. The times have changed in many ways. Back then, it was all a little overwhelming. No one forced me into anything, but in hindsight, I might have been a little more cautious with it." Earlier seasons of 'Game Of Throne' were called out for showing nudity. The prequel of the show, tentatively titled 'The Long Night', is already in production, but the actress has stated she won't be returning to the show as Melisandre. "Who knows. I guess you could see a very young Melisandre or something like that. That could be fun. But not in the shape of me. No one has contacted me about it. There are so many great characters, but I personally would have loved to see more of Melisandre's background," she said. The hugely popular series came to an end in May 2019 after completing eight successful seasons.

'Game Of Thrones' makers cut down on nudity post #MeToo movement, reveals actress Carice van Houten

Olivia Munn has been very vocal about #MeToo movement and calling out any attempt to whitewash the complaints.&nbsp;

Recently the Hollywood actor shed some more light on the after effect of the popular movement. Appearing on AM2DM morning show to promote her new project ‘The Rook’, she spoke up about some A-list celebrities in Hollywood who even after their name popped up in the #MeToo have continued to get away without any consequences to their actions.&nbsp;

She said, "When most people mess up, we have to go to the back of the line and earn our way back up. But then, there are these certain men who, when they mess up they kind of go, 'Oops, sorry, my bad,' and then just resume their place in line.”

She mentioned the brother duo and Oscar-winners, Ben and Casey Affleck as she said, "There are going to be people that are hoping they can just push past it and people can just forget. We have stuff with the Afflecks, both of them. They just keep going and hoping that no one is going to find out.”

Olivia also slammed ace director Quentin Tarantino for knowing what Harvey Weinstein did but not speaking up. She said, "We have Tarantino who admitted to abusive behaviour on set and also knowing what Harvey Weinstein was doing.”

She added, "The thing is that, not that they're not incredibly talented in their own right, but when you are given the opportunity to have any kind of power and you abuse that power, I believe you immediately lose all positioning and that you don't get to have that power anymore. Redemption is possible, but you've got to earn it just like everybody else.”

This came after Quentin told the New York Times that he was of aware of what Weinstein was doing behind closed doors. He was quoted, "I knew enough to do more than I did. There was more to it than just the normal rumours, the normal gossip. It wasn't second-hand. I knew he did a couple of these things. I wish I had taken responsibility for what I heard.”

Ben Affleck was in the news in 2017 for groping former ‘One Tree Hill’ actor Hilarie Burton when she was a host on TRL in the early 2000s. He had then apologised and tweeted, "I acted inappropriately toward Ms Burton and I sincerely apologize.” As for Casey, he recently settled two lawsuits in 2010 with women who accused him of harassing them on the sets of a film.

Olivia Munn has been very vocal about #MeToo movement and calling out any attempt to whitewash the complaints. Recently the Hollywood actor shed some more light on the after effect of the popular movement.

Olivia Munn has been very vocal about #MeToo movement and calling out any attempt to whitewash the complaints. Recently the Hollywood actor shed some more light on the after effect of the popular movement. Appearing on AM2DM morning show to promote her new project ‘The Rook’, she spoke up about some A-list celebrities in Hollywood who even after their name popped up in the #MeToo have continued to get away without any consequences to their actions. She said, "When most people mess up, we have to go to the back of the line and earn our way back up. But then, there are these certain men who, when they mess up they kind of go, 'Oops, sorry, my bad,' and then just resume their place in line.” She mentioned the brother duo and Oscar-winners, Ben and Casey Affleck as she said, "There are going to be people that are hoping they can just push past it and people can just forget. We have stuff with the Afflecks, both of them. They just keep going and hoping that no one is going to find out.” Olivia also slammed ace director Quentin Tarantino for knowing what Harvey Weinstein did but not speaking up. She said, "We have Tarantino who admitted to abusive behaviour on set and also knowing what Harvey Weinstein was doing.” She added, "The thing is that, not that they're not incredibly talented in their own right, but when you are given the opportunity to have any kind of power and you abuse that power, I believe you immediately lose all positioning and that you don't get to have that power anymore. Redemption is possible, but you've got to earn it just like everybody else.” This came after Quentin told the New York Times that he was of aware of what Weinstein was doing behind closed doors. He was quoted, "I knew enough to do more than I did. There was more to it than just the normal rumours, the normal gossip. It wasn't second-hand. I knew he did a couple of these things. I wish I had taken responsibility for what I heard.” Ben Affleck was in the news in 2017 for groping former ‘One Tree Hill’ actor Hilarie Burton when she was a host on TRL in the early 2000s. He had then apologised and tweeted, "I acted inappropriately toward Ms Burton and I sincerely apologize.” As for Casey, he recently settled two lawsuits in 2010 with women who accused him of harassing them on the sets of a film.

Olivia Munn slams brothers Casey and Ben Affleck for getting work even after #MeToo complaints

In October 2018, as the #MeToo movement hit India, some very prominent names were outed for sexual offence. Among them was comedian-actor Utsav Chakraborty of comedy group 'All India Bakchod' who was accused by several women of sexual misconduct.&nbsp; 
 
These women also accused AIB founder and comedian Tanmay Bhat of hiring Chakraborty despite being aware of these incidents. Eventually, Bhat had to step down from his position as the CEO and the company had to be shut down.&nbsp; 
 
8 months on, Bhat has now revealed he is suffering from clinical depression and is worried he might never get back to being who he was or "operating to my potential". 
 
In a series of Instagram videos shared on Saturday, the comedian said he sometimes gets "super worried" thinking that his state of "paralysis is permanent".

"After everything that happened in October, I'm mentally checked out. I feel almost paralysed and unable to participate socially, online or even offline. A big part of my self worth growing up as someone who looked like me became my work.&nbsp; 
 
"For most of my adult I life I worked at a company that I was trying to build. Letting the office go, all the people who worked with us, having to say good bye to that took a toll on me mentally and physically. Which finally came to a headway around the end of last year," he said.&nbsp; 
 
The comedian said doctors diagnosed him with clinical depression and told him to "consider doing something about it." 
 
"A lot of you have been asking fair questions- why don't you move on, why don't you rebuild, but for some reason, I have just watched something that I have worked for last part of my adult life come crashing down. I have just been staring at the rubble going 'what now?'&nbsp; 
 
"I don't think I've been strong enough to be able to pick myself. It's been a few months since the doctor told me to start medication. I honestly sometimes get super worried that this state of paralysis is permanent. I sometimes feel I might never get back to being who I was or operating to my potential." 
Bhat thanked those who wrote supportive messages on his worst days, which were immensely helpful.

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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BzTWZVtj_zn/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">I'm a bit of a mess. I don't know when I'll stop being a bit of a mess. But when I'm less of a mess, I will owe it to everybody who has written in being supportive. Especially those who've seen this mess up close. You know who you are.</a>

<p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/tanmaybhat/" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px;" target="_blank"> Tanmay Bhat</a> (@tanmaybhat) on <time datetime="2019-06-29T17:38:37+00:00" style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;">Jun 29, 2019 at 10:38am PDT</time>
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"It's nice to know there are still people out there who are rooting for us and me. I am still clueless about any answers to questions like when will I be back and doing what. I don't know. I'm still feeling extremely paralysed to even put out this message because in my head no one wants to work with a depressed comedian and that's an oxymoron.&nbsp; 
 
"But at some point I just got to get up and start fixing this stuff. I owed you guys a thank you. That's all for now," he concluded.&nbsp; 
 
Bhat, who was one of the judges in the first season of Amazon Prime Video's 'Comicstaan', is not returning for the upcoming second run.&nbsp;

In October 2018, as the #MeToo movement hit India, some very prominent names were outed for sexual offence. Among them was comedian-actor Utsav Chakraborty of comedy group 'All India Bakchod' who was accused by several women of sexual misconduct.

In October 2018, as the #MeToo movement hit India, some very prominent names were outed for sexual offence. Among them was comedian-actor Utsav Chakraborty of comedy group 'All India Bakchod' who was accused by several women of sexual misconduct. These women also accused AIB founder and comedian Tanmay Bhat of hiring Chakraborty despite being aware of these incidents. Eventually, Bhat had to step down from his position as the CEO and the company had to be shut down. 8 months on, Bhat has now revealed he is suffering from clinical depression and is worried he might never get back to being who he was or "operating to my potential". In a series of Instagram videos shared on Saturday, the comedian said he sometimes gets "super worried" thinking that his state of "paralysis is permanent". "After everything that happened in October, I'm mentally checked out. I feel almost paralysed and unable to participate socially, online or even offline. A big part of my self worth growing up as someone who looked like me became my work. "For most of my adult I life I worked at a company that I was trying to build. Letting the office go, all the people who worked with us, having to say good bye to that took a toll on me mentally and physically. Which finally came to a headway around the end of last year," he said. The comedian said doctors diagnosed him with clinical depression and told him to "consider doing something about it." "A lot of you have been asking fair questions- why don't you move on, why don't you rebuild, but for some reason, I have just watched something that I have worked for last part of my adult life come crashing down. I have just been staring at the rubble going 'what now?' "I don't think I've been strong enough to be able to pick myself. It's been a few months since the doctor told me to start medication. I honestly sometimes get super worried that this state of paralysis is permanent. I sometimes feel I might never get back to being who I was or operating to my potential." Bhat thanked those who wrote supportive messages on his worst days, which were immensely helpful. View this post on Instagram I'm a bit of a mess. I don't know when I'll stop being a bit of a mess. But when I'm less of a mess, I will owe it to everybody who has written in being supportive. Especially those who've seen this mess up close. You know who you are. A post shared by Tanmay Bhat (@tanmaybhat) on Jun 29, 2019 at 10:38am PDT × "It's nice to know there are still people out there who are rooting for us and me. I am still clueless about any answers to questions like when will I be back and doing what. I don't know. I'm still feeling extremely paralysed to even put out this message because in my head no one wants to work with a depressed comedian and that's an oxymoron. "But at some point I just got to get up and start fixing this stuff. I owed you guys a thank you. That's all for now," he concluded. Bhat, who was one of the judges in the first season of Amazon Prime Video's 'Comicstaan', is not returning for the upcoming second run.

Tanmay Bhat reveals he is clinically depressed, says he 'feels paralysed'

Veteran actor Judi Dench defended disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein and actor Kevin Spacey as artists, saying their contribution to the cinema should not be forgotten. 
 
The 84-year-old actor made the comments during an interview with Radio Times, reported Deadline. 
 
The actor has previously condemned the behaviour of Spacey and Weinstein, who have both been accused of sexual harassment. However, she told the publication that their screen and stage work should not be diminished. 
 
In reference to Spacey being removed from Ridley Scott`s 2017 film `All The Money In The World`, the Oscar-winner said, "What kind of agony is that? Are we going to negate 10 years at the Old Vic and everything that he did (as artistic director) - how wonderful he`s been in all those films? Are we just not going to see all those films that Harvey produced?" 
 
"You cannot deny somebody a talent," the `Skyfall` actor added speaking of their work."You might as well never look at a Caravaggio painting. You might as well never have gone to see Noel Coward," she said, referring to other artists who have been accused of misconduct.

Dench has previously defended Spacey after he was removed from `All The Money In The World`, amid accusations of sexual conduct by several men in the US and UK.&nbsp; 
 
She was one of the first female celebrities to slam Weinstein over the accusations, reported Fox News.Dench had also credited Weinstein with contributing to her career, reported to The Hollywood Reporter.&nbsp; 
 
Allegations of sexual misconduct against Weinstein were responsible for expanding the #MeToo movement.Dench also defended Spacey, whom she describes as a "good friend", at last year`s San Sebastian Film Festival. 
 
At a press conference, the actor said, "I can`t approve, in any way, of the fact that -- whatever he has done -- that you then start to cut him out of the films...Are we to go back throughout history and anyone who has misbehaved in any way, or who has broken the law, or who has committed some kind of offence, are they always going to be cut out? Are we going to extrude them from our history? I don`t know...." 
 
Both Spacey and Weinstein have denied all the allegations levelled against them.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Veteran actor Judi Dench defended disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein and actor Kevin Spacey as artists, saying their contribution to the cinema should not be forgotten.

Veteran actor Judi Dench defended disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein and actor Kevin Spacey as artists, saying their contribution to the cinema should not be forgotten. The 84-year-old actor made the comments during an interview with Radio Times, reported Deadline. The actor has previously condemned the behaviour of Spacey and Weinstein, who have both been accused of sexual harassment. However, she told the publication that their screen and stage work should not be diminished. In reference to Spacey being removed from Ridley Scott`s 2017 film `All The Money In The World`, the Oscar-winner said, "What kind of agony is that? Are we going to negate 10 years at the Old Vic and everything that he did (as artistic director) - how wonderful he`s been in all those films? Are we just not going to see all those films that Harvey produced?" "You cannot deny somebody a talent," the `Skyfall` actor added speaking of their work."You might as well never look at a Caravaggio painting. You might as well never have gone to see Noel Coward," she said, referring to other artists who have been accused of misconduct. Dench has previously defended Spacey after he was removed from `All The Money In The World`, amid accusations of sexual conduct by several men in the US and UK. She was one of the first female celebrities to slam Weinstein over the accusations, reported Fox News.Dench had also credited Weinstein with contributing to her career, reported to The Hollywood Reporter. Allegations of sexual misconduct against Weinstein were responsible for expanding the #MeToo movement.Dench also defended Spacey, whom she describes as a "good friend", at last year`s San Sebastian Film Festival. At a press conference, the actor said, "I can`t approve, in any way, of the fact that -- whatever he has done -- that you then start to cut him out of the films...Are we to go back throughout history and anyone who has misbehaved in any way, or who has broken the law, or who has committed some kind of offence, are they always going to be cut out? Are we going to extrude them from our history? I don`t know...." Both Spacey and Weinstein have denied all the allegations levelled against them.

Judi Dench defends Harvey Weinstein, Kevin Spacey work: You can't deny talent

In an attempt to lend her voice to push for stronger sexual assault laws in New York, actress&nbsp;Mira Sorvino has revealed that she's a survivor of date rape.&nbsp;

The Oscar-winning actress choked up during a news conference on Wednesday at the state Capitol with Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

Sorvino says that she has never spoken publicly before about the assault and that she was "doing it here to try and help.''

The actress stated she wouldn't go into details and didn't name the man involved.&nbsp; 
 
"This whole #MeToo (movement)] this has been wonderful, but it has been highly traumatizing for me on a personal level just because I have had to revisit my past and my demons in a way that I really had not fully explored... I had not really dealt with past traumas," Sorvino said tearfully.&nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo">"I had not really sought out the help I needed, so this past year and a half has been a very interesting and hard and wonderful time for me. But I can stand here before you and say not only was I a sexual harassment and battery victim at the hands of Mr Weinstein, but I'm also a sexual assault victim and I'm also a survivor of date rape," the actress added.&nbsp;</div>

Sorvino was one of the first women to publicly accuse Harvey Weinstein of sexual harassment.

Advocates want lawmakers to repeal the state's statute of limitations for a second- and third-degree rape and tweak the law to make it easier for victims to prove harassment claims.

In an attempt to lend her voice to push for stronger sexual assault laws in New York, actress Mira Sorvino has revealed that she's a survivor of date rape. The Oscar-winning actress choked up during a news conference on Wednesday at the state Capitol with Gov.

In an attempt to lend her voice to push for stronger sexual assault laws in New York, actress Mira Sorvino has revealed that she's a survivor of date rape. The Oscar-winning actress choked up during a news conference on Wednesday at the state Capitol with Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Sorvino says that she has never spoken publicly before about the assault and that she was "doing it here to try and help.'' The actress stated she wouldn't go into details and didn't name the man involved. "This whole #MeToo (movement)] this has been wonderful, but it has been highly traumatizing for me on a personal level just because I have had to revisit my past and my demons in a way that I really had not fully explored... I had not really dealt with past traumas," Sorvino said tearfully. "I had not really sought out the help I needed, so this past year and a half has been a very interesting and hard and wonderful time for me. But I can stand here before you and say not only was I a sexual harassment and battery victim at the hands of Mr Weinstein, but I'm also a sexual assault victim and I'm also a survivor of date rape," the actress added. Sorvino was one of the first women to publicly accuse Harvey Weinstein of sexual harassment. Advocates want lawmakers to repeal the state's statute of limitations for a second- and third-degree rape and tweak the law to make it easier for victims to prove harassment claims.

Actress Mira Sorvino reveals she's a date-rape survivor

Actor Cuba Gooding Jr&nbsp;intends to turn himself in to New York City police after a woman accused him of groping her at a Manhattan bar over the weekend, NBC News reported on Wednesday, citing Gooding`s representative. 
 
The Oscar-wining actor plans to present himself to the NYPD`s sex crimes unit on Thursday, according to NBC News. 
 
The woman, who has not been identified, alleged that Gooding touched her breasts at the bar on Sunday night, the network said, citing law enforcement sources. 
 
In a video posted on TMZ.com, Gooding denied that he had groped anyone. The actor said he went to a bar, talked and took pictures with people, and left. 
 
"I trust the system," he said as he walked through Los Angeles International Airport, adding that there was a tape "that shows what really happened." 
 
Asked if "there was any groping involved," Gooding said "no, nothing." He also said "absolutely not" when asked if he was guilty.&nbsp; 
 
Attorneys for Gooding did not immediately respond to requests for comment or confirmation.&nbsp; 
 
NYPD spokeswoman Detective Sophia Mason said she had seen the news report, but had no information on it.&nbsp;

Asked about the reported allegation on Monday, NYPD spokesman Detective Martin Brown said, "We don`t really have anything official to say about it other than that there`s been an allegation and that it is currently under investigation." 
 
Gooding won the Academy Award for best supporting actor in 1997 for his portrayal of an athlete in the film 'Jerry Maguire.'&nbsp;In 2016, he was nominated for an Emmy for playing OJ&nbsp;Simpson in the miniseries 'The People v. O.J. Simpson.'

Actor Cuba Gooding Jr intends to turn himself in to New York City police after a woman accused him of groping her at a Manhattan bar over the weekend, NBC News reported on Wednesday, citing Gooding`s representative.

Actor Cuba Gooding Jr intends to turn himself in to New York City police after a woman accused him of groping her at a Manhattan bar over the weekend, NBC News reported on Wednesday, citing Gooding`s representative. The Oscar-wining actor plans to present himself to the NYPD`s sex crimes unit on Thursday, according to NBC News. The woman, who has not been identified, alleged that Gooding touched her breasts at the bar on Sunday night, the network said, citing law enforcement sources. In a video posted on TMZ.com, Gooding denied that he had groped anyone. The actor said he went to a bar, talked and took pictures with people, and left. "I trust the system," he said as he walked through Los Angeles International Airport, adding that there was a tape "that shows what really happened." Asked if "there was any groping involved," Gooding said "no, nothing." He also said "absolutely not" when asked if he was guilty. Attorneys for Gooding did not immediately respond to requests for comment or confirmation. NYPD spokeswoman Detective Sophia Mason said she had seen the news report, but had no information on it. Asked about the reported allegation on Monday, NYPD spokesman Detective Martin Brown said, "We don`t really have anything official to say about it other than that there`s been an allegation and that it is currently under investigation." Gooding won the Academy Award for best supporting actor in 1997 for his portrayal of an athlete in the film 'Jerry Maguire.' In 2016, he was nominated for an Emmy for playing OJ Simpson in the miniseries 'The People v. O.J. Simpson.'

Actor Cuba Gooding Jr to turn himself in after groping allegation

Comedy group AIB on Wednesday announced Gursimran Khamba will no longer be involved with the company and Tanmay Bhat will step down from the post of CEO. 
 
Last year, Khamba and Bhat, the co-founders of the comedy quartet, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/aib-founders-tanmay-bhat-and-gursimran-khamba-step-down-in-the-wake-of-metoo-movement-170252">distanced themselves from the comedy group,</a> which is battling allegations of sexual harassment against its members. 
 
While Bhat is under attack for his inaction in the complaints against writer-comedian Utsav Chakraborty, Khamba has been directly accused of sexual misconduct. 
 
In a statement shared on its official Twitter account, the company also said the AIB YouTube channel is "dead for the foreseeable future".&nbsp;AIB said there has been an Internal Committee and anti-harassment system in place from the start. But the culture at work may not have been perfect which needs to be improved, the statement added. 
 
"To that end, we maintain that Tanmay Bhat's lapse of judgement regarding Utsav Chakraborty was egregious. As a result, even though, Tanmay Bhat's suspension has been lifted, he will no longer hold the position of CEO." 
 
In Khamba's case, the company said they appointed a two-member External Committee (EC) -- comprising a senior partner at a law firm and a diversity consultant -- to look into the allegations. 
 
But the comic had stepped away from the investigation process during its course, citing "issues with procedure", AIB said in the statement. 
 
"The EC was unable to conclude the investigation on account of this withdrawal. Given these circumstances, Gursimran Khamba will no longer be involved in operations at AIB, and will be working independent of us," the company added.

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An update <a href="https://t.co/Jtq3nSGnwi">pic.twitter.com/Jtq3nSGnwi</a>
— All India Bakchod (@AllIndiaBakchod) <a href="https://twitter.com/AllIndiaBakchod/status/1131182392075415553?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 22, 2019</a></blockquote>
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As per the statement, the company will continue to be managed by remaining two members Rohan Joshi and Ashish Shakya, who will also pursue solo interests in the coming future. 
 
AIB said as a "hundred per cent independent, creator-owned company", post the allegations going public, their business went to "zero". 
 
"... The lack of revenue inflows made it impossible for us, as owners, to sustain outgoing costs... But with no revenue and operational costs piling up, we had to make some hard, and unfortunately permanent decisions. We had to let our office space and entire team go overnight." 
 
The statement added all the employees who were let go managed to find another job.&nbsp; 
 
"The AIB YouTube channel is for all intents and purposes, dead for the foreseeable future - there will be no new sketches anytime soon... If and when we decide to release other content on the channel (for eg stand-up clips), you will be the first to know," it added. 
 
The statement was the first activity on the group's Twitter page since October 2018, after company HR head Vidhi Jotwani announced Bhat and Khamba were distancing themselves from AIB amid allegations in the wake of the #MeToo wave.&nbsp;

Comedy group AIB on Wednesday announced Gursimran Khamba will no longer be involved with the company and Tanmay Bhat will step down from the post of CEO. Last year, Khamba and Bhat, the co-founders of the comedy quartet, distanced themselves from the comedy group, which is battling allegations of sexual harassment against its members.

Comedy group AIB on Wednesday announced Gursimran Khamba will no longer be involved with the company and Tanmay Bhat will step down from the post of CEO. Last year, Khamba and Bhat, the co-founders of the comedy quartet, distanced themselves from the comedy group, which is battling allegations of sexual harassment against its members. While Bhat is under attack for his inaction in the complaints against writer-comedian Utsav Chakraborty, Khamba has been directly accused of sexual misconduct. In a statement shared on its official Twitter account, the company also said the AIB YouTube channel is "dead for the foreseeable future". AIB said there has been an Internal Committee and anti-harassment system in place from the start. But the culture at work may not have been perfect which needs to be improved, the statement added. "To that end, we maintain that Tanmay Bhat's lapse of judgement regarding Utsav Chakraborty was egregious. As a result, even though, Tanmay Bhat's suspension has been lifted, he will no longer hold the position of CEO." In Khamba's case, the company said they appointed a two-member External Committee (EC) -- comprising a senior partner at a law firm and a diversity consultant -- to look into the allegations. But the comic had stepped away from the investigation process during its course, citing "issues with procedure", AIB said in the statement. "The EC was unable to conclude the investigation on account of this withdrawal. Given these circumstances, Gursimran Khamba will no longer be involved in operations at AIB, and will be working independent of us," the company added. An update pic.twitter.com/Jtq3nSGnwi — All India Bakchod (@AllIndiaBakchod) May 22, 2019 × As per the statement, the company will continue to be managed by remaining two members Rohan Joshi and Ashish Shakya, who will also pursue solo interests in the coming future. AIB said as a "hundred per cent independent, creator-owned company", post the allegations going public, their business went to "zero". "... The lack of revenue inflows made it impossible for us, as owners, to sustain outgoing costs... But with no revenue and operational costs piling up, we had to make some hard, and unfortunately permanent decisions. We had to let our office space and entire team go overnight." The statement added all the employees who were let go managed to find another job. "The AIB YouTube channel is for all intents and purposes, dead for the foreseeable future - there will be no new sketches anytime soon... If and when we decide to release other content on the channel (for eg stand-up clips), you will be the first to know," it added. The statement was the first activity on the group's Twitter page since October 2018, after company HR head Vidhi Jotwani announced Bhat and Khamba were distancing themselves from AIB amid allegations in the wake of the #MeToo wave.

AIB says Gursimran Khamba out of company, Tanmay Bhat demoted

The film studio once run by Harvey Weinstein said it plans to liquidate in bankruptcy, as it tries to resolve civil lawsuits against former directors and officers arising from sexual misconduct claims against the onetime Hollywood mogul. 
 
Lawyers for Weinstein Co asked a Delaware bankruptcy judge to convert the studio`s bankruptcy to a Chapter 7 liquidation from the Chapter 11 case filed in March 2018, according to papers filed on Tuesday night. 
 
Several rounds of mediation over the last 10 months have failed to resolve liability claims arising from Weinstein`s alleged misconduct, the lawyers said. 
A hearing on the conversion request is scheduled for June 4. 
 
Weinstein, 67, fell from grace after more than 70 women, mostly young actresses and others in the movie business, accused him of sexual misconduct dating back decades. 
 
He has denied all accusations and said any contact was consensual.&nbsp;Weinstein has also pleaded not guilty to criminal charges arising from his having allegedly forcibly performed oral sex on a woman in 2006 and raped another woman in 2013.&nbsp;A trial is scheduled for September. 
 
Weinstein`s case helped launch the #MeToo movement, where dozens of powerful men in entertainment, politics and other fields were accused of sexual misconduct. Many lost their jobs. 
 
Lawyers for Weinstein Co said Chapter 7 was best because the company had sold nearly all its assets in a $289 million sale last July to private equity firm Lantern Capital Partners, and lacked enough liquidity to reorganize under Chapter 11. 
 
They also said liquidation was the best means to resolve claims against the former directors and officers, taking into account the interests of their insurers. 
Weinstein Co`s plan to hire a law firm, Bernstein Litowitz Berger &amp; Grossmann, to pursue claims it might have against the directors and officers drew two objections on Wednesday, including from New York Attorney General Letitia James. 
 
Her office said hiring a firm with no prior involvement in the case might drag out negotiations on a possible global settlement, waste time that lawyers already spent and unnecessarily deplete the debtors` limited resources. 
 
Lawyers for Weinstein Co did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the objections.&nbsp;

The film studio once run by Harvey Weinstein said it plans to liquidate in bankruptcy, as it tries to resolve civil lawsuits against former directors and officers arising from sexual misconduct claims against the onetime Hollywood mogul.

The film studio once run by Harvey Weinstein said it plans to liquidate in bankruptcy, as it tries to resolve civil lawsuits against former directors and officers arising from sexual misconduct claims against the onetime Hollywood mogul. Lawyers for Weinstein Co asked a Delaware bankruptcy judge to convert the studio`s bankruptcy to a Chapter 7 liquidation from the Chapter 11 case filed in March 2018, according to papers filed on Tuesday night. Several rounds of mediation over the last 10 months have failed to resolve liability claims arising from Weinstein`s alleged misconduct, the lawyers said. A hearing on the conversion request is scheduled for June 4. Weinstein, 67, fell from grace after more than 70 women, mostly young actresses and others in the movie business, accused him of sexual misconduct dating back decades. He has denied all accusations and said any contact was consensual. Weinstein has also pleaded not guilty to criminal charges arising from his having allegedly forcibly performed oral sex on a woman in 2006 and raped another woman in 2013. A trial is scheduled for September. Weinstein`s case helped launch the #MeToo movement, where dozens of powerful men in entertainment, politics and other fields were accused of sexual misconduct. Many lost their jobs. Lawyers for Weinstein Co said Chapter 7 was best because the company had sold nearly all its assets in a $289 million sale last July to private equity firm Lantern Capital Partners, and lacked enough liquidity to reorganize under Chapter 11. They also said liquidation was the best means to resolve claims against the former directors and officers, taking into account the interests of their insurers. Weinstein Co`s plan to hire a law firm, Bernstein Litowitz Berger & Grossmann, to pursue claims it might have against the directors and officers drew two objections on Wednesday, including from New York Attorney General Letitia James. Her office said hiring a firm with no prior involvement in the case might drag out negotiations on a possible global settlement, waste time that lawyers already spent and unnecessarily deplete the debtors` limited resources. Lawyers for Weinstein Co did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the objections.

Harvey Weinstein's former film studio plans to liquidate in bankruptcy

Talk about irony! Alok Nath, accused of raping writer and producer <a href="http://www.wionews.com/entertainment/sanskaari-alok-nath-accused-of-rape-by-woman-filmmaker-170341">Vinta Nanda </a>has been roped in to play a judge in a film based on the #MeToo movement.&nbsp;

According to media reports, Nath plays a judge who “takes a strong stand against sexual harassment” &nbsp;in the film which has been titled #MainBhi (Me T00). The film has been directed by Nasir Khan and features actor Khalid Siddiqui in the lead role.&nbsp;

While confirming the news to a tabloid, the actor reportedly said, " Is there a problem? You sound sad that I’m doing a film. It’s a puny role for poor producers, let it release."

Nath was one of the prominent names to have been called out during the #MeToo movement in 2018 in India. Nanda had written an emotional post on Facebook, accusing the 'sanskari' actor of raping her 20 years back when the two worked on the TV show 'Tara'.&nbsp;

A few days after Nanda's post went viral, actresses Sandhya Mridul and <a href="http://www.wionews.com/entertainment/after-sandhya-mridul-now-actor-deepika-amin-accuses-alok-nath-of-harassment-170792">Deepika Amin </a>also spoke out against the actor and accused him of sexually harassing them on film sets.&nbsp;

In January, Nath <a href="http://www.wionews.com/entertainment/alok-nath-gets-anticpatory-bail-as-court-states-vinta-nanda-accused-him-of-rape-for-own-benefit-189118">was granted anticipatory bail</a> by a Mumbai sessions court. The actor has been expelled from the Cine And Television Artistes Association in November 2018.

The Federation of Western India Cine Employees also issued him a six-month non-cooperative directive for failing to appear before it for a hearing under POSH (Prevention of Sexual Harassment) guidelines.

The actor was last seen in Luv Ranjan's 'Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety'.&nbsp;

Talk about irony! Alok Nath, accused of raping writer and producer Vinta Nanda has been roped in to play a judge in a film based on the #MeToo movement. According to media reports, Nath plays a judge who “takes a strong stand against sexual harassment” in the film which has been titled #MainBhi (Me T00).

Talk about irony! Alok Nath, accused of raping writer and producer Vinta Nanda has been roped in to play a judge in a film based on the #MeToo movement. According to media reports, Nath plays a judge who “takes a strong stand against sexual harassment” in the film which has been titled #MainBhi (Me T00). The film has been directed by Nasir Khan and features actor Khalid Siddiqui in the lead role. While confirming the news to a tabloid, the actor reportedly said, " Is there a problem? You sound sad that I’m doing a film. It’s a puny role for poor producers, let it release." Nath was one of the prominent names to have been called out during the #MeToo movement in 2018 in India. Nanda had written an emotional post on Facebook, accusing the 'sanskari' actor of raping her 20 years back when the two worked on the TV show 'Tara'. A few days after Nanda's post went viral, actresses Sandhya Mridul and Deepika Amin also spoke out against the actor and accused him of sexually harassing them on film sets. In January, Nath was granted anticipatory bail by a Mumbai sessions court. The actor has been expelled from the Cine And Television Artistes Association in November 2018. The Federation of Western India Cine Employees also issued him a six-month non-cooperative directive for failing to appear before it for a hearing under POSH (Prevention of Sexual Harassment) guidelines. The actor was last seen in Luv Ranjan's 'Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety'.

Alok Nath to play a judge in a film based on #MeToo movement

She created a storm in India a few months and was instrumental in bringing the #MeToo movement to India and now Tanushree Dutta is creating impact outside the country.

She created a storm in India a few months and was instrumental in bringing the #MeToo movement to India and now Tanushree Dutta is creating impact outside the country. Dutta recently went to the prestigious Harvard Business School as a guest speaker at the India conference which is organized by the students of the business school. Tanushree's session was moderated by journalist Pankaj Pachauri. A clip of the session has been doing the rounds of social media for some time now which has Pachauri mentioning the global #Metoo Movement and India's obsession with fair skin. View this post on Instagram Tanushree Dutta at Discussion Harvard India conference . . For more updates follow @peeping.moon . . #tanushreedutta @iamtanushreeduttaofficial #actress #bollywood #harward #peepingmoon #peepingmoonbollywood A post shared by PeepingMoon (@peeping.moon) on Feb 20, 2019 at 8:43pm PST × Earlier in an interview with a news agency. Tanushree has said, "I’m quite excited as it will be a new kind of experience as my audience will be quintessentially American. I’m also a bit nervous as everyone else on the platform is highly accomplished and experienced so, I hope I hold up well.” The actress also shared photos of her stay at the business school. View this post on Instagram Interview discussion on emerging technology on campus @Harvard Business School shot by #nrilifeproductions in collaboration with @gunjankuthiala @deepsclicksphotography @getarup26 A post shared by Tanushree Dutta (@iamtanushreeduttaofficial) on Feb 20, 2019 at 9:36pm PST × View this post on Instagram Brunch at Harvard with @gunjankuthiala iala and @alina_dar_ shooting a panel discussion for social media with #nrilife productions. At the Grille cafetaria HBS. A post shared by Tanushree Dutta (@iamtanushreeduttaofficial) on Feb 19, 2019 at 11:07am PST × In 2018, Tanushree accused Nana Patekar of sexual misconduct on the sets of 'Horn Ok Pleasss' back in 2008. The episode eventually led more women from various industries speaking out against sexual offenders. Powerful people like Rajkumar Hirani, Alok Nath, Sajid Khan, Rajat Kapoor, Anu Malik, Vikas Behl, and journalist MJ Akbar were accused by women of sexual misconduct.

Tanushree Dutta visits Harvard Business School as a guest speaker

Prosecutors in Illinois are investigating a new sex tape that has surfaced, which shows singer-songwriter R&nbsp;Kelly having intercourse with an underage girl.According to reports in The New Yorker and CNN cited by Variety, a new tape against R&nbsp;Kelly has surfaced which shows him having sex with an underage girl.

The New Yorker report, which was written by Jim DeRogatis, who in 2002 broke the news of the sex tape that led to criminal charges against the 52-year-old singer, cites a senior law-enforcement official as saying that prosecutors may soon indict Kelly in Illinois.According to CNN report, it appears to show Kelly having sex with a girl who “refers to her body parts as 14 years old.”

CNN obtained the video tape through celebrity attorney Michael Avenatti, who is representing a man he refers to as a “whistleblower” against Kelly.“My client knows the identity of the girl and&nbsp;R&nbsp;Kelly. He identified the two of them on the videotape. He worked for and has known R. Kelly for decades and he met the girl on a number of occasions,” Avenatti said.

On Thursday,&nbsp;Avenatti tweeted a statement&nbsp;saying that he was retained by “multiple clients in connection with allegations of sexual assault of minors” by Kelly. 
 
In a statement cited by Variety, Kelly’s lawyer Steve Greenberg said: “HAPPY VALENTINES DAY … The calls and emails I received were the first I’ve heard of these allegations. I understand that CNN says that they have seen this video. If the video were what it is claimed to be, by sharing it with CNN Mr. Avenatti would be committing a felony, as would the reporter who viewed it. … I have not been contacted by anyone connected with law enforcement, nor has R Kelly. Mr. Kelly denies that he has engaged in any illegal conduct, of any kind whatsoever. … All of the claims by these women were brought forth years ago, rejected by the police, and/or rejected by the courts, but now for their own gain they have rehashed them.”

The New Yorker describes the video tape in, saying that it shows the singer “sexually assaulting an underage girl,” citing the official and two other sources familiar with the tape. The video also shows the man asking the girl to urinate and after she does, he urinates on her.Based on CNN’s description, the video shows many similarities to the 2002 tape and also features the girl calling the singer “Daddy,” among other similarities to previous reports.

Allegations of sexual misconduct by Kelly towards young women date back to more than 20 years.Kelly was charged with child pornography in 2000 after a video surfaced that alleged to show him having sex with an underage woman.&nbsp;

However, Kelly was cleared off all the charges in 2008 after that woman declined to testify against him.In 1995, when Kelly was 27 years old, he briefly married the late singer Aaliyah, who was 15 years old at that time.

In ‘Surviving&nbsp;R&nbsp;Kelly’ (a documentary series in which accusers came forward with allegations of sexual, mental and physical abuse against the singer) an executive who formerly worked with Kelly says he forged Aaliyah’s birth date on the marriage license to state that she was 18 and another witness said she saw Kelly and Aaliyah having sex.Last year, reports of&nbsp;Kelly holding women captive in a “sex cult” were published. Multiple other reports have surfaced over the years.&nbsp;

Prosecutors in Illinois are investigating a new sex tape that has surfaced, which shows singer-songwriter R Kelly having intercourse with an underage girl.According to reports in The New Yorker and CNN cited by Variety, a new tape against R Kelly has surfaced which shows him having sex with an underage girl.

Prosecutors in Illinois are investigating a new sex tape that has surfaced, which shows singer-songwriter R Kelly having intercourse with an underage girl.According to reports in The New Yorker and CNN cited by Variety, a new tape against R Kelly has surfaced which shows him having sex with an underage girl. The New Yorker report, which was written by Jim DeRogatis, who in 2002 broke the news of the sex tape that led to criminal charges against the 52-year-old singer, cites a senior law-enforcement official as saying that prosecutors may soon indict Kelly in Illinois.According to CNN report, it appears to show Kelly having sex with a girl who “refers to her body parts as 14 years old.” CNN obtained the video tape through celebrity attorney Michael Avenatti, who is representing a man he refers to as a “whistleblower” against Kelly.“My client knows the identity of the girl and R Kelly. He identified the two of them on the videotape. He worked for and has known R. Kelly for decades and he met the girl on a number of occasions,” Avenatti said. On Thursday, Avenatti tweeted a statement saying that he was retained by “multiple clients in connection with allegations of sexual assault of minors” by Kelly. In a statement cited by Variety, Kelly’s lawyer Steve Greenberg said: “HAPPY VALENTINES DAY … The calls and emails I received were the first I’ve heard of these allegations. I understand that CNN says that they have seen this video. If the video were what it is claimed to be, by sharing it with CNN Mr. Avenatti would be committing a felony, as would the reporter who viewed it. … I have not been contacted by anyone connected with law enforcement, nor has R Kelly. Mr. Kelly denies that he has engaged in any illegal conduct, of any kind whatsoever. … All of the claims by these women were brought forth years ago, rejected by the police, and/or rejected by the courts, but now for their own gain they have rehashed them.” The New Yorker describes the video tape in, saying that it shows the singer “sexually assaulting an underage girl,” citing the official and two other sources familiar with the tape. The video also shows the man asking the girl to urinate and after she does, he urinates on her.Based on CNN’s description, the video shows many similarities to the 2002 tape and also features the girl calling the singer “Daddy,” among other similarities to previous reports. Allegations of sexual misconduct by Kelly towards young women date back to more than 20 years.Kelly was charged with child pornography in 2000 after a video surfaced that alleged to show him having sex with an underage woman. However, Kelly was cleared off all the charges in 2008 after that woman declined to testify against him.In 1995, when Kelly was 27 years old, he briefly married the late singer Aaliyah, who was 15 years old at that time. In ‘Surviving R Kelly’ (a documentary series in which accusers came forward with allegations of sexual, mental and physical abuse against the singer) an executive who formerly worked with Kelly says he forged Aaliyah’s birth date on the marriage license to state that she was 18 and another witness said she saw Kelly and Aaliyah having sex.Last year, reports of Kelly holding women captive in a “sex cult” were published. Multiple other reports have surfaced over the years.

R Kelly could face indictment after new sex tape surfaces

Rajkumar Hirani may have maintained a stoic silence ever since his<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/bollywood-director-rajkumar-hirani-accused-of-sexual-assault-filmmaker-denies-190031"> name got embroiled in the #MeToo movement,</a> but the director's colleagues in Bollywood have been batting for him ever since the controversy broke out. The latest to join the list of supporters is actress Sonam Kapoor, who while promoting her upcoming film 'Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga' said that while she is a supporter of the #MeToo movement, judgment should be reserved in the case of filmmaker Rajkumar Hirani.

“I am a huge supporter of the #MeToo movement and this is a very important question... This is not the right platform because our film is as important as the movement.

“I know Raju Hirani very well, I have known him for many years and I have huge respect for him as a filmmaker and as a man. I think we all should reserve judgement and be very responsible before we say anything more on this subject.. Because we don’t need to derail this movement,” Sonam said.

Sonam, who has lent her voice to the #MeToo movement in the past, said more understanding is needed about the movement. “Media and all journalists don’t understand how important the pen is, how important your voice is and it can make or break a person’s life. So wait, do proper research and ask what is actually happening and understand what is actually happening. I promise after the film releases, I will have something to say.

“But till things are not clear, don’t make click-bait articles and play with somebody’s life. It will derail the movement completely.” She further added, “I always want to believe a woman but suppose by chance, if it is not true, then how bad it will be for the movement, especially if it is somebody like Raju Hirani.”&nbsp;

The actress urged people to have a better understanding of the issue. “With Tanushree Dutta (who kicked off the #MeToo movement in India last year) there was a lot of truth in the article, there was a lot of research done, lot of people came forward.. So you understand where it is coming from.”

Sonam said she would want to believe every woman but asserted in case of Hirani one needs to reserve judgement. “This film is important and it should not become about that. If I have to sit down and talk about it, I can talk about it at length but we need to be careful about the people we accuse and people whose side we take. You have to take side and I don’t believe in sitting on the fence so I will take my side when I have to,” she said.

Hirani was earlier credited as the co-producer of<a href="http://www.wionews.com/entertainment/meet-ghazal-dhaliwal-the-transwoman-writer-of-ek-ladki-ko-dekha-toh-aisa-laga-193863"> 'Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga'</a> but as his name came up in the #Meetoo movement, makers decided to remove his name from the film's credit.&nbsp;

Hirani name was called out earlier this month for sexual harassment when a woman "assistant" alleged, according to an article in HuffPost India, that he had sexually abused her more than once between March and September 2018 while working on the film 'Sanju'. Celebrities like Arshad Warsi, Sharman Joshi and <a href="http://www.wionews.com/entertainment/metoo-javed-akhtar-defends-rajkumar-hirani-calls-him-one-of-the-most-decent-people-in-the-industry-190893">Javed &nbsp;Akhtar </a>have spoken in support of Hirani.&nbsp;

Rajkumar Hirani may have maintained a stoic silence ever since his name got embroiled in the #MeToo movement, but the director's colleagues in Bollywood have been batting for him ever since the controversy broke out.

Rajkumar Hirani may have maintained a stoic silence ever since his name got embroiled in the #MeToo movement, but the director's colleagues in Bollywood have been batting for him ever since the controversy broke out. The latest to join the list of supporters is actress Sonam Kapoor, who while promoting her upcoming film 'Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga' said that while she is a supporter of the #MeToo movement, judgment should be reserved in the case of filmmaker Rajkumar Hirani. “I am a huge supporter of the #MeToo movement and this is a very important question... This is not the right platform because our film is as important as the movement. “I know Raju Hirani very well, I have known him for many years and I have huge respect for him as a filmmaker and as a man. I think we all should reserve judgement and be very responsible before we say anything more on this subject.. Because we don’t need to derail this movement,” Sonam said. Sonam, who has lent her voice to the #MeToo movement in the past, said more understanding is needed about the movement. “Media and all journalists don’t understand how important the pen is, how important your voice is and it can make or break a person’s life. So wait, do proper research and ask what is actually happening and understand what is actually happening. I promise after the film releases, I will have something to say. “But till things are not clear, don’t make click-bait articles and play with somebody’s life. It will derail the movement completely.” She further added, “I always want to believe a woman but suppose by chance, if it is not true, then how bad it will be for the movement, especially if it is somebody like Raju Hirani.” The actress urged people to have a better understanding of the issue. “With Tanushree Dutta (who kicked off the #MeToo movement in India last year) there was a lot of truth in the article, there was a lot of research done, lot of people came forward.. So you understand where it is coming from.” Sonam said she would want to believe every woman but asserted in case of Hirani one needs to reserve judgement. “This film is important and it should not become about that. If I have to sit down and talk about it, I can talk about it at length but we need to be careful about the people we accuse and people whose side we take. You have to take side and I don’t believe in sitting on the fence so I will take my side when I have to,” she said. Hirani was earlier credited as the co-producer of 'Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga' but as his name came up in the #Meetoo movement, makers decided to remove his name from the film's credit. Hirani name was called out earlier this month for sexual harassment when a woman "assistant" alleged, according to an article in HuffPost India, that he had sexually abused her more than once between March and September 2018 while working on the film 'Sanju'. Celebrities like Arshad Warsi, Sharman Joshi and Javed Akhtar have spoken in support of Hirani.

Sonam Kapoor on Rajkumar Hirani: We should reserve our judgement about him

Kangana Ranaut says she was harassed several times by actors on film sets and while it wouldn't fall under #MeToo as it wasn't sexual, the experience was daunting and humiliating. 
 
The actor said harassment can happen on several levels and she has faced toxic behaviour from many people in her career.&nbsp; 
 
"Harassment happens on many levels. So many times on sets, I wasn't sexually harassed, but some people had ego issues. I was harassed on many other fronts. It wouldn't come under #MeToo but it was still harassment," Kangana told PTI.&nbsp; 
 
The actor said the harassment ranged from making her wait for long hours to dubbing her voice without her consent.&nbsp; 
 
Talking about her harrowing experiences, Kangana said, "Making me wait on set for six hours, willingly giving me wrong call time to make me stand, always giving me the wrong set of dates so I'm missing out on opportunities and then cancelling the schedule last minute by these heroes.&nbsp; 
 
"Ganging up on me and not inviting me to film events, launching trailers without me and then someone else dubbed for me without even telling me, which is violating the basic right of taking permission from an actor." 
 
The 'Queen' star said because of the #MeToo movement, which hit India last year, men in the industry are scared.&nbsp; 
 
"People are scared, obviously and they should be. Men are scared in the industry. This isn't going to stop. This will continue till we really go into the root cause of it because essentially it's a patriarchal society which is extremely chauvinistic.&nbsp; 
 
"We need to come to a point where they are scared. All the talks of 'what if women lose work' should stop. I believe there's no life without dignity. You shouldn't worry about raising your voice." 
 
The actor had come out in support of the survivor when allegations of sexual harassment were levelled against 'Queen' director Vikas Bahl.&nbsp; 
 
Kangana, 31, said going forward strict rules and immediate action policy should be implemented to make film sets safer for women.&nbsp; 
 
"On film sets there have to be strict rules and strict action should be taken. Things can't be solved on a personal level or behind closed doors. Things should be taken to authority and immediate action is the need of the hour.&nbsp; 
 
"When anyone raises concern, people, director, producer or anyone, need to solve it. We need to become more sensitive about these things," she said.&nbsp; 
 
Kangana will be next seen in 'Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi'. The much ambitious period-drama features her in the titular role and has been directed by Krish and Kangana. The film releases on January 25.&nbsp;

Kangana Ranaut says she was harassed several times by actors on film sets and while it wouldn't fall under #MeToo as it wasn't sexual, the experience was daunting and humiliating.

Kangana Ranaut says she was harassed several times by actors on film sets and while it wouldn't fall under #MeToo as it wasn't sexual, the experience was daunting and humiliating. The actor said harassment can happen on several levels and she has faced toxic behaviour from many people in her career. "Harassment happens on many levels. So many times on sets, I wasn't sexually harassed, but some people had ego issues. I was harassed on many other fronts. It wouldn't come under #MeToo but it was still harassment," Kangana told PTI. The actor said the harassment ranged from making her wait for long hours to dubbing her voice without her consent. Talking about her harrowing experiences, Kangana said, "Making me wait on set for six hours, willingly giving me wrong call time to make me stand, always giving me the wrong set of dates so I'm missing out on opportunities and then cancelling the schedule last minute by these heroes. "Ganging up on me and not inviting me to film events, launching trailers without me and then someone else dubbed for me without even telling me, which is violating the basic right of taking permission from an actor." The 'Queen' star said because of the #MeToo movement, which hit India last year, men in the industry are scared. "People are scared, obviously and they should be. Men are scared in the industry. This isn't going to stop. This will continue till we really go into the root cause of it because essentially it's a patriarchal society which is extremely chauvinistic. "We need to come to a point where they are scared. All the talks of 'what if women lose work' should stop. I believe there's no life without dignity. You shouldn't worry about raising your voice." The actor had come out in support of the survivor when allegations of sexual harassment were levelled against 'Queen' director Vikas Bahl. Kangana, 31, said going forward strict rules and immediate action policy should be implemented to make film sets safer for women. "On film sets there have to be strict rules and strict action should be taken. Things can't be solved on a personal level or behind closed doors. Things should be taken to authority and immediate action is the need of the hour. "When anyone raises concern, people, director, producer or anyone, need to solve it. We need to become more sensitive about these things," she said. Kangana will be next seen in 'Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi'. The much ambitious period-drama features her in the titular role and has been directed by Krish and Kangana. The film releases on January 25.

Kangana Ranaut: Have been harassed by actors on film sets

Actor Arshad Warsi has come out in support of director Rajkumar Hirani who has been accused of sexually assaulting a woman on the sets of 'Sanju'. Warsi, one half of the indomitable Munna-Circuit duo of Hirani`s "Munna Bhai M.B.B.S', says it is wrong to jump to conclusions about the filmmaker

While promoting his new film 'Fraud Saiyyan', Arshad said he had never seen even one thing wrong with the filmmaker.

Asked about a woman`s allegation that Hirani sexually assaulted her during the shoot of 'Sanju', Arshad said: "For me, to pass any sort of judgment or come to a conclusion is absolutely wrong because I don`t know exactly about the case. I don`t know how much truth is there or how credible this accusation is. Has the proper investigation been done? I don`t know about all that.&nbsp;

"I personally don`t like to jump to conclusions and pass my judgment and suddenly start looking at a person differently. I cannot do that, it`s not right to do that. What I feel about Raju? I think he is a fabulous gentleman. He is a lovely guy. My association with him is so long, and I have never seen one wrong thing about him."

Arshad, who has worked with the director in films like 'Lage Raho Munna Bhai', said he has never seen Hirani behave inappropriately.

"I have never seen him behaving badly or doing anything incorrect. So, suddenly hearing this, you think, `How is this possible?`. I cannot say anything till it is all 100 per cent there... One cannot jump to a conclusion. It is not fair," added the actor'.&nbsp;

According to a HuffPost India article on Sunday, the woman claimed that Hirani sexually abused her on more than one occasion over a six-month period between March and September 2018. The 56-year-old filmmaker has denied the allegation.

Actor Arshad Warsi has come out in support of director Rajkumar Hirani who has been accused of sexually assaulting a woman on the sets of 'Sanju'. Warsi, one half of the indomitable Munna-Circuit duo of Hirani`s "Munna Bhai M.

Actor Arshad Warsi has come out in support of director Rajkumar Hirani who has been accused of sexually assaulting a woman on the sets of 'Sanju'. Warsi, one half of the indomitable Munna-Circuit duo of Hirani`s "Munna Bhai M.B.B.S', says it is wrong to jump to conclusions about the filmmaker While promoting his new film 'Fraud Saiyyan', Arshad said he had never seen even one thing wrong with the filmmaker. Asked about a woman`s allegation that Hirani sexually assaulted her during the shoot of 'Sanju', Arshad said: "For me, to pass any sort of judgment or come to a conclusion is absolutely wrong because I don`t know exactly about the case. I don`t know how much truth is there or how credible this accusation is. Has the proper investigation been done? I don`t know about all that. "I personally don`t like to jump to conclusions and pass my judgment and suddenly start looking at a person differently. I cannot do that, it`s not right to do that. What I feel about Raju? I think he is a fabulous gentleman. He is a lovely guy. My association with him is so long, and I have never seen one wrong thing about him." Arshad, who has worked with the director in films like 'Lage Raho Munna Bhai', said he has never seen Hirani behave inappropriately. "I have never seen him behaving badly or doing anything incorrect. So, suddenly hearing this, you think, `How is this possible?`. I cannot say anything till it is all 100 per cent there... One cannot jump to a conclusion. It is not fair," added the actor'. According to a HuffPost India article on Sunday, the woman claimed that Hirani sexually abused her on more than one occasion over a six-month period between March and September 2018. The 56-year-old filmmaker has denied the allegation.

Never seen Rajkumar Hirani behaving badly, he is a fabulous gentleman: Arshad Warsi

As #MeToo movement gained momentum in India, several prominent names from the film industry were called out for sexual misconduct. Directors Vikas Bahl, Sajid Khan and actor Nana Patekar were asked to step down from their ongoing projects as they were accussed by women of sexual harassment. But unlike these men, producer Emraan Hashmi decided not to remove director Soumi Sen's name from 'Why Cheat India' credit role.&nbsp; 
 
Hashmi who serves as a co-producer and the lead in the film stated that he did not want to take a 'high-handed' approach to oust someone from a film without being assured of the credibility of the accusations.&nbsp; 
 
"There should be a due process. I can't have this high-handed authority on a set and say 'You're out of my film and three women have accused you of this'. I don't know the validity of the accusations.&nbsp; 
 
"I've not spoken to the women personally. They have not gone to the judicial system and had the due process. The producers spoke to him (Sen) and he excused himself from the promotions," Emraan told a news agency.&nbsp; 
 
Regarding claims against Sen, the actor said when the news broke, the film's team investigated the matter to check if any inappropriate behaviour took place on the sets but nothing of the kind was reported.&nbsp; 
 
"The next question to be asked was the authenticity of the allegations. When you have names thrown on social media, it could be malicious. Not that I am defending Soumik, but there's no due process here, no proof.&nbsp; 
 
"Sometimes there could be malicious intent. We kept it to the point that he has excused himself from the film promotions. It's a step where we probably have done our bit," he added.&nbsp; 
 
The actor believes the question is what happens after someone takes a name on social media with regards to sexual misconduct.&nbsp; 
 
"What do we do? Just chuck the person out of a company or have an investigation, a due process in this? Unfortunately, the women didn't go to the judicial system or the police." 
 
When pointed out that it could be because the legal process is both, exhausting and intimidating, Emraan agreed, adding "Sometimes women don't have proof but that doesn't mean it didn't happen. The entire thing is so grey, what are the steps to be taken?"&nbsp; 
 
"We have not denied those allegations... If Soumik has done something, he should be taken to task. I can't play judge and decide on a verdict. The courts have to draw out a process, which has not been done so far. Twitter cannot be a courtroom," he said. 
 
Filmmaker <a href="http://www.wionews.com/entertainment/rajkumar-hirani-controversy-munna-bhai-3-put-on-hold-amid-sexual-assault-charges-190213">Rajkumar Hirani was named in the #MeToo by an anonymous woman,</a> who worked as "an assistant" on 'Sanju'. The complainant accused the director of sexually abusing on more than one account between March and September 2018. 
 
When asked if someone as powerful as Hirani is being named in the #MeToo, will it change industry dynamics, the actor said he cannot "speak about this case". 
Emraan, however, adds that the #MeToo movement has his full support.&nbsp; 
 
"It's great that women are coming out and putting their stories forward but we have to have some process in place. Now that the allegations are out and men are forewarned that 'don't do this', we need to, like how I did with my company, set the laws the government has placed about sexual harassment. 
 
"It's not a gender thing. It's a power thing. A woman in a position of power can harass a male colleague. The power dynamics are very lopsided and can swing both ways," he said. 
 
'Why Cheat India' is scheduled to release this Friday.&nbsp; 
 
(With inputs from PTI)

As #MeToo movement gained momentum in India, several prominent names from the film industry were called out for sexual misconduct. Directors Vikas Bahl, Sajid Khan and actor Nana Patekar were asked to step down from their ongoing projects as they were accussed by women of sexual harassment.

As #MeToo movement gained momentum in India, several prominent names from the film industry were called out for sexual misconduct. Directors Vikas Bahl, Sajid Khan and actor Nana Patekar were asked to step down from their ongoing projects as they were accussed by women of sexual harassment. But unlike these men, producer Emraan Hashmi decided not to remove director Soumi Sen's name from 'Why Cheat India' credit role. Hashmi who serves as a co-producer and the lead in the film stated that he did not want to take a 'high-handed' approach to oust someone from a film without being assured of the credibility of the accusations. "There should be a due process. I can't have this high-handed authority on a set and say 'You're out of my film and three women have accused you of this'. I don't know the validity of the accusations. "I've not spoken to the women personally. They have not gone to the judicial system and had the due process. The producers spoke to him (Sen) and he excused himself from the promotions," Emraan told a news agency. Regarding claims against Sen, the actor said when the news broke, the film's team investigated the matter to check if any inappropriate behaviour took place on the sets but nothing of the kind was reported. "The next question to be asked was the authenticity of the allegations. When you have names thrown on social media, it could be malicious. Not that I am defending Soumik, but there's no due process here, no proof. "Sometimes there could be malicious intent. We kept it to the point that he has excused himself from the film promotions. It's a step where we probably have done our bit," he added. The actor believes the question is what happens after someone takes a name on social media with regards to sexual misconduct. "What do we do? Just chuck the person out of a company or have an investigation, a due process in this? Unfortunately, the women didn't go to the judicial system or the police." When pointed out that it could be because the legal process is both, exhausting and intimidating, Emraan agreed, adding "Sometimes women don't have proof but that doesn't mean it didn't happen. The entire thing is so grey, what are the steps to be taken?" "We have not denied those allegations... If Soumik has done something, he should be taken to task. I can't play judge and decide on a verdict. The courts have to draw out a process, which has not been done so far. Twitter cannot be a courtroom," he said. Filmmaker Rajkumar Hirani was named in the #MeToo by an anonymous woman, who worked as "an assistant" on 'Sanju'. The complainant accused the director of sexually abusing on more than one account between March and September 2018. When asked if someone as powerful as Hirani is being named in the #MeToo, will it change industry dynamics, the actor said he cannot "speak about this case". Emraan, however, adds that the #MeToo movement has his full support. "It's great that women are coming out and putting their stories forward but we have to have some process in place. Now that the allegations are out and men are forewarned that 'don't do this', we need to, like how I did with my company, set the laws the government has placed about sexual harassment. "It's not a gender thing. It's a power thing. A woman in a position of power can harass a male colleague. The power dynamics are very lopsided and can swing both ways," he said. 'Why Cheat India' is scheduled to release this Friday. (With inputs from PTI)

Emraan Hashmi on #MeToo allegations against director Soumik Sen: Can't play judge and decide on verdict

One of the most shocking revelations in the #MeToo movement is Rajkumar Hirani's name. The director of blockbusters like 'Munna Bhai series', 'PK, and '3 Idiots' has been accused of sexually assaulting a woman over a period of 6 months while filming 'Sanju'. &nbsp;The woman has alleged that the assaults happened between March and September 2018.&nbsp;

The filmmaker though has rubbished the allegations and said in a statement, "I was completely shocked when these allegations were brought to my notice about two months back. I had suggested immediately that it is essential to take this matter to any committee or legal body. The complainant has chosen to go to the media instead. I want to very strongly state that this is a false malicious and mischievous story being spread with the sole intention of destroying my reputation."

While a committee has been set up to investigate the matter at Vidhu Vinod Chopra's production house, the allegations have had a direct affect on Hirani's work. According to media reports, work on 'Munna Bhai 3' has been put on hold till Hirani is given a clean chit.&nbsp;

A source told the tabloid, "In a meeting in late December, it was decided that Fox would pull the plug on 'Munna Bhai 3' if Hirani was found guilty. The studio stands in solidarity with the survivor. VVC Films too has taken the matter seriously, and dropped Hirani's name from the promotional material of 'Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga'."

"An ICC set up by VVC Films will investigate the matter. Munna Bhai 3, however, by default, is on hold till Hirani gets a clean chit," the source added.

Only a few weeks back Arshad Warsi, who played Circuit in the two films in the franchise, had confirmed that a sequel was being planned and it was in initial scripting stage.&nbsp;

In an article on HuffPost India,<a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/bollywood-director-rajkumar-hirani-accused-of-sexual-assault-filmmaker-denies-190031"> the woman, who calls herself "an assistant", alleged that Hirani sexually abused </a>her more than once between March and September 2018.

She detailed her allegations in an email dated November 3, 2018, to Hirani's longtime collaborator and "Sanju" co-producer Vidhu Vinod Chopra.

The woman said that on April 9, 2018, the director first passed a sexually suggestive remark to her and later sexually assaulted her at his home office.

"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 wrote of the April 9 incident in the email to Chopra, as quoted by the article.

The woman said that Hirani was a father figure for her.

"My mind, body and heart were grossly violated that night and for the next 6 months," the email read.

One of the most shocking revelations in the #MeToo movement is Rajkumar Hirani's name. The director of blockbusters like 'Munna Bhai series', 'PK, and '3 Idiots' has been accused of sexually assaulting a woman over a period of 6 months while filming 'Sanju'.

One of the most shocking revelations in the #MeToo movement is Rajkumar Hirani's name. The director of blockbusters like 'Munna Bhai series', 'PK, and '3 Idiots' has been accused of sexually assaulting a woman over a period of 6 months while filming 'Sanju'. The woman has alleged that the assaults happened between March and September 2018. The filmmaker though has rubbished the allegations and said in a statement, "I was completely shocked when these allegations were brought to my notice about two months back. I had suggested immediately that it is essential to take this matter to any committee or legal body. The complainant has chosen to go to the media instead. I want to very strongly state that this is a false malicious and mischievous story being spread with the sole intention of destroying my reputation." While a committee has been set up to investigate the matter at Vidhu Vinod Chopra's production house, the allegations have had a direct affect on Hirani's work. According to media reports, work on 'Munna Bhai 3' has been put on hold till Hirani is given a clean chit. A source told the tabloid, "In a meeting in late December, it was decided that Fox would pull the plug on 'Munna Bhai 3' if Hirani was found guilty. The studio stands in solidarity with the survivor. VVC Films too has taken the matter seriously, and dropped Hirani's name from the promotional material of 'Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga'." "An ICC set up by VVC Films will investigate the matter. Munna Bhai 3, however, by default, is on hold till Hirani gets a clean chit," the source added. Only a few weeks back Arshad Warsi, who played Circuit in the two films in the franchise, had confirmed that a sequel was being planned and it was in initial scripting stage. In an article on HuffPost India, the woman, who calls herself "an assistant", alleged that Hirani sexually abused her more than once between March and September 2018. She detailed her allegations in an email dated November 3, 2018, to Hirani's longtime collaborator and "Sanju" co-producer Vidhu Vinod Chopra. The woman said that on April 9, 2018, the director first passed a sexually suggestive remark to her and later sexually assaulted her at his home office. "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 wrote of the April 9 incident in the email to Chopra, as quoted by the article. The woman said that Hirani was a father figure for her. "My mind, body and heart were grossly violated that night and for the next 6 months," the email read.

Rajkumar Hirani controversy: 'Munna Bhai 3' put on hold amid sexual assault charges?

In a major blow to the ongoing 'Me Too' movement, &nbsp;a sessions court in Mumbai granted anticipatory bail to actor Alok Nath who has been accused of raping TV producer-writer Vinta Nanda.&nbsp; 
 
The court observed, while announcing the bail, &nbsp;that Vinta Nanda "did not lodge the report immediately after the alleged incident for her own benefit". &nbsp;The court has also observed that "possibility cannot be ruled out that the applicant (Alok Nath)&nbsp;has been falsely accused in the crime". 
 
Back in October,<a href="http://www.wionews.com/entertainment/sanskaari-alok-nath-accused-of-rape-by-woman-filmmaker-170341"> Nanda in a tell-all post on Facebook</a> had stated that Nath had raped her 20 years ago and she had only spoken up now. Nanda had not filed a case against the actor then as she was told that since Alok Nath is a big actor, no one would believe her story.&nbsp; 
 
On Tuesday, the court took into consideration the arguments made by Nath’s lawyer that there were discrepancies in the complaint that Nanda filed. The court questioned Nanda's statement and said that she could remember "the entire incident but she did not remember the date and month of the incident". The court concluded that there was a "possibility that Alok Nath was being falsely accused of the crime". 
 
Since both were married when the incident took place, the court said that the medical examination would not yeild a proper result. Besides, the alleged incident took place at Nanda's residence and court said it would not be possible for the actor to remove all evidences.&nbsp; 
 
Earlier on Satrurday, Alok Nath was granted an anticipatory bail but on conditions that he would not visit Nanda's residence and he would not threaten or bribe anyone associated to the case.&nbsp; 
 
Soon after Nanda's post went viral, the actor had filed a <a href="http://www.wionews.com/entertainment/metoo-alok-nath-files-defamation-suit-against-vinta-nanda-who-accused-him-of-raping-her-171255">defamation case against her</a>. Nanda had then filed an FIR against Alok Nath, alleging rape. Nanda's post alos encouraged other women to speak up against the actor. Actresses Sandhya Mridul and Deepika Amin also accused him of sexual misconduct.&nbsp;

In a major blow to the ongoing 'Me Too' movement, a sessions court in Mumbai granted anticipatory bail to actor Alok Nath who has been accused of raping TV producer-writer Vinta Nanda.

In a major blow to the ongoing 'Me Too' movement, a sessions court in Mumbai granted anticipatory bail to actor Alok Nath who has been accused of raping TV producer-writer Vinta Nanda. The court observed, while announcing the bail, that Vinta Nanda "did not lodge the report immediately after the alleged incident for her own benefit". The court has also observed that "possibility cannot be ruled out that the applicant (Alok Nath) has been falsely accused in the crime". Back in October, Nanda in a tell-all post on Facebook had stated that Nath had raped her 20 years ago and she had only spoken up now. Nanda had not filed a case against the actor then as she was told that since Alok Nath is a big actor, no one would believe her story. On Tuesday, the court took into consideration the arguments made by Nath’s lawyer that there were discrepancies in the complaint that Nanda filed. The court questioned Nanda's statement and said that she could remember "the entire incident but she did not remember the date and month of the incident". The court concluded that there was a "possibility that Alok Nath was being falsely accused of the crime". Since both were married when the incident took place, the court said that the medical examination would not yeild a proper result. Besides, the alleged incident took place at Nanda's residence and court said it would not be possible for the actor to remove all evidences. Earlier on Satrurday, Alok Nath was granted an anticipatory bail but on conditions that he would not visit Nanda's residence and he would not threaten or bribe anyone associated to the case. Soon after Nanda's post went viral, the actor had filed a defamation case against her. Nanda had then filed an FIR against Alok Nath, alleging rape. Nanda's post alos encouraged other women to speak up against the actor. Actresses Sandhya Mridul and Deepika Amin also accused him of sexual misconduct.

Alok Nath gets anticipatory bail as court states Vinta Nanda accused him of rape for 'own benefit'

Disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein will go on trial in Manhattan on May 6 on charges of sexually assaulting two women, his lawyer said in a court filing.&nbsp;Weinstein is accused of forcibly performing oral sex on a woman in July 2006 and raping another woman in March 2013. He faces five charges, including rape, and a maximum sentence of life in prison.

More than 70 women, mostly young actresses and others in the movie business, have accused Weinstein, 66, of sexual assaults dating back decades. The scandal helped launch the #MeToo movement, in which hundreds of women have publicly accused powerful men in entertainment, politics and other fields, of sexual misconduct.

Weinstein, who pleaded not guilty after his arrest last May, has denied all the accusations, saying any sexual encounters were consensual.&nbsp; 
 
The New York prosecution, which was brought by the Manhattan district attorney`s office, is the only criminal case to emerge from those allegations to date. 
 
Weinstein`s lawyer, Benjamin Brafman, disclosed the trial date in a filing on Monday in a related federal civil case brought by an anonymous accuser. Brafman is seeking to have the case put on hold until the criminal case is resolved. 
 
Brafman also said prosecutors will seek permission from the trial judge to call other accusers as witnesses, even though their allegations are not part of the criminal charges at hand. 
 
While prosecutors are typically barred from calling "prior bad act" witnesses, judges will occasionally allow it for certain narrow purposes, such as demonstrating that a defendant had a particular method of committing his offenses. 
 
The trial is expected to last six weeks, Brafman wrote. 
 
Brafman did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A spokesman for the Manhattan district attorney`s office declined to comment.

Disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein will go on trial in Manhattan on May 6 on charges of sexually assaulting two women, his lawyer said in a court filing. Weinstein is accused of forcibly performing oral sex on a woman in July 2006 and raping another woman in March 2013.

Disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein will go on trial in Manhattan on May 6 on charges of sexually assaulting two women, his lawyer said in a court filing. Weinstein is accused of forcibly performing oral sex on a woman in July 2006 and raping another woman in March 2013. He faces five charges, including rape, and a maximum sentence of life in prison. More than 70 women, mostly young actresses and others in the movie business, have accused Weinstein, 66, of sexual assaults dating back decades. The scandal helped launch the #MeToo movement, in which hundreds of women have publicly accused powerful men in entertainment, politics and other fields, of sexual misconduct. Weinstein, who pleaded not guilty after his arrest last May, has denied all the accusations, saying any sexual encounters were consensual. The New York prosecution, which was brought by the Manhattan district attorney`s office, is the only criminal case to emerge from those allegations to date. Weinstein`s lawyer, Benjamin Brafman, disclosed the trial date in a filing on Monday in a related federal civil case brought by an anonymous accuser. Brafman is seeking to have the case put on hold until the criminal case is resolved. Brafman also said prosecutors will seek permission from the trial judge to call other accusers as witnesses, even though their allegations are not part of the criminal charges at hand. While prosecutors are typically barred from calling "prior bad act" witnesses, judges will occasionally allow it for certain narrow purposes, such as demonstrating that a defendant had a particular method of committing his offenses. The trial is expected to last six weeks, Brafman wrote. Brafman did not immediately respond to a request for comment. A spokesman for the Manhattan district attorney`s office declined to comment.

Harvey Weinstein's sexual assault trial set for May: US court

The legal battle between American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey and her former manager Stella Bulochnikov has finally come to an end.

The 48-year-old singer and her former manager settled the sexual harassment lawsuit that was filed back in April, in which the singer`s ex-manager accused her of sexual harassment, alleging that Carey was often nude in front of her, reported People.

"The parties have reached a mutually agreed resolution to this matter," an attorney for Bulochnikov told Page Six. While it is not clear whether the deal includes a financial settlement, the lawsuit seeks unspecified damages. After working together for almost three years, Carey and Bulochnikov parted ways in November 2017 and released a joint statement at that time saying that they would remain "partners in a number of business ventures" and would "continue to support each other in those endeavours.

"However, back in April, Bulochnikov`s lawyers filed an order in New York court alleging breach of contract and violation of the U.S. Civil Rights Acts. According to several media reports, Bulochnikov`s lawyers claimed that Carey sexually harassed her by often being naked in front of their client, was also battling with substance abuse and owed her millions of dollars. Shortly after the claims were made by Bulochnikov, Carey`s team released a statement denying the allegations.

"Stella Bulochnikov was terminated from employment as Mariah`s manager due to failure to perform her job effectively and ill-serving her client. Stella was not under contract for employment. She has been spreading false rumours to any media outlet that will publish them. We won`t respond to lies and threats," Carey`s rep earlier told People. After her former manager threatened legal action, Carey opened up exclusively to People about her struggle with bipolar disorder, which she was diagnosed within 2001 after being hospitalised for a physical and emotional breakdown.

"Until recently I lived in denial and isolation and in constant fear someone would expose me. It was too heavy a burden to carry and I simply couldn`t do that anymore. I sought and received treatment, I put positive people around me and I got back to doing what I love - writing songs and making music," said Carey, who has since entered therapy and been on medication for her disorder.&nbsp;

The legal battle between American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey and her former manager Stella Bulochnikov has finally come to an end. The 48-year-old singer and her former manager settled the sexual harassment lawsuit that was filed back in April, in which the singer`s ex-manager accused her of sexual harassment, alleging that Carey was often nude in front of her, reported People.

The legal battle between American singer-songwriter Mariah Carey and her former manager Stella Bulochnikov has finally come to an end. The 48-year-old singer and her former manager settled the sexual harassment lawsuit that was filed back in April, in which the singer`s ex-manager accused her of sexual harassment, alleging that Carey was often nude in front of her, reported People. "The parties have reached a mutually agreed resolution to this matter," an attorney for Bulochnikov told Page Six. While it is not clear whether the deal includes a financial settlement, the lawsuit seeks unspecified damages. After working together for almost three years, Carey and Bulochnikov parted ways in November 2017 and released a joint statement at that time saying that they would remain "partners in a number of business ventures" and would "continue to support each other in those endeavours. "However, back in April, Bulochnikov`s lawyers filed an order in New York court alleging breach of contract and violation of the U.S. Civil Rights Acts. According to several media reports, Bulochnikov`s lawyers claimed that Carey sexually harassed her by often being naked in front of their client, was also battling with substance abuse and owed her millions of dollars. Shortly after the claims were made by Bulochnikov, Carey`s team released a statement denying the allegations. "Stella Bulochnikov was terminated from employment as Mariah`s manager due to failure to perform her job effectively and ill-serving her client. Stella was not under contract for employment. She has been spreading false rumours to any media outlet that will publish them. We won`t respond to lies and threats," Carey`s rep earlier told People. After her former manager threatened legal action, Carey opened up exclusively to People about her struggle with bipolar disorder, which she was diagnosed within 2001 after being hospitalised for a physical and emotional breakdown. "Until recently I lived in denial and isolation and in constant fear someone would expose me. It was too heavy a burden to carry and I simply couldn`t do that anymore. I sought and received treatment, I put positive people around me and I got back to doing what I love - writing songs and making music," said Carey, who has since entered therapy and been on medication for her disorder.

Mariah Carey settles sexual harassment lawsuit with former manager

It was truly a big night for the cast and crew of 'Bohemian Rhapsody' as they went up on stage to pick up the Best Film (Drama) award at the Golden Globes on Sunday. The film also fetched its lead actor Rami Malek the Best Award.&nbsp; 
 
The team`s big honour has however sparked controversy. It all started when the cast took the stage to receive the award for the film and producer Graham King did not mention the film`s director, Bryan Singer in the speech. Notably enough, Rami Malek also left the director out of his acceptance speech. <a href="http://www.wionews.com/entertainment/golden-globes-2019-the-full-list-of-winners-188693">Check out the full list of winners here</a> 
 
Singer`s absence might not seem surprising given his controversial history with the film and in personal life. The director has been repeatedly accused of sexual misconduct for years. Earlier in December 2017, a man sued Singer claiming the director raped him when he was 17 years old. 
 
According to Entertainment Weekly, Singer was fired from the film amid reports of on-set turmoil. Shortly after the honours were announced, people took to their Twitter handles to comment on both, the lack of mention of Singer in the speeches and the team`s ignorance toward the Time`s Up and #MeToo movement. 
 
It may be noted that the night saw many celebrities vocally and visibly supporting the two movements directed against sexual harassment. 
 
"Hollywood patting themselves on the backs and wearing "times up" pins as they give Bryan Singer the penultimate award.... i don`t know why i`m surprised yet here we are," a user tweeted.

"Seriously? Bohemian Rhapsody? The Bryan Singer one? What happened to Times Up? Golden Globes," wrote another. 
 
Dogging the controversy and his team`s cold shoulders, Singer gave his thank you speech on Instagram. "What an honour. Thank you #HollywoodForeignPress," the director wrote. 
 
Apart of this, the film`s honour received mixed reviews from critics questioning its victory in a category that was shared by 'Black Panther`, `BlacKkKlansman`, `If Beale Street Could Talk` and 'A Star Is Born.' which was one of the frontrunner in the category.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

It was truly a big night for the cast and crew of 'Bohemian Rhapsody' as they went up on stage to pick up the Best Film (Drama) award at the Golden Globes on Sunday.

It was truly a big night for the cast and crew of 'Bohemian Rhapsody' as they went up on stage to pick up the Best Film (Drama) award at the Golden Globes on Sunday. The film also fetched its lead actor Rami Malek the Best Award. The team`s big honour has however sparked controversy. It all started when the cast took the stage to receive the award for the film and producer Graham King did not mention the film`s director, Bryan Singer in the speech. Notably enough, Rami Malek also left the director out of his acceptance speech. Check out the full list of winners here Singer`s absence might not seem surprising given his controversial history with the film and in personal life. The director has been repeatedly accused of sexual misconduct for years. Earlier in December 2017, a man sued Singer claiming the director raped him when he was 17 years old. According to Entertainment Weekly, Singer was fired from the film amid reports of on-set turmoil. Shortly after the honours were announced, people took to their Twitter handles to comment on both, the lack of mention of Singer in the speeches and the team`s ignorance toward the Time`s Up and #MeToo movement. It may be noted that the night saw many celebrities vocally and visibly supporting the two movements directed against sexual harassment. "Hollywood patting themselves on the backs and wearing "times up" pins as they give Bryan Singer the penultimate award.... i don`t know why i`m surprised yet here we are," a user tweeted. "Seriously? Bohemian Rhapsody? The Bryan Singer one? What happened to Times Up? Golden Globes," wrote another. Dogging the controversy and his team`s cold shoulders, Singer gave his thank you speech on Instagram. "What an honour. Thank you #HollywoodForeignPress," the director wrote. Apart of this, the film`s honour received mixed reviews from critics questioning its victory in a category that was shared by 'Black Panther`, `BlacKkKlansman`, `If Beale Street Could Talk` and 'A Star Is Born.' which was one of the frontrunner in the category.

Golden Globes 2019: 'Bohemian Rhapsody' producer leaves out director's name from acceptance speech

When American actress Alysa Milano urged women across the world to speak up against sexual violence in 2017, the #MeToo hashtag became viral almost instantly. Milano tweeted, "If you’ve been sexually harassed or assaulted write ‘me too’ as a reply to this tweet," and scores of women across the world shared personal experiences on social media leading to the beginning of global #MeToo movement. One of the first names to have come out in the movement was Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein as multiple women accused him of rape, sexual harassment, and misconduct.&nbsp;These women also included prominent names from the cinema including Gwyneth Paltrow, Jennifer Anniston, Angelina Jolie and others.&nbsp;

Soon enough, the movement caught everyone's attention in other countries. While France, Israel, Canada, Italy were the first few countries to join America in the movement, closer home in India, the movement took nearly 8 months to gain momentum. There were, of course, the initial reports that were reported on social media but it was only when former Miss India and actress Tanushree Dutta <a href="http://www.wionews.com/entertainment/tanushree-dutta-accuses-nana-patekar-harassing-her-set-10-years-ago-167771">accused Nana Patekar of sexual misconduct on a film set in 2008, did the movement</a> get its much-needed boost in India. In an interview to a news channel, Tanushree recalled how Patekar <a href="http://www.wionews.com/entertainment/watch-footage-attack-tanushree-duttas-car-sets-hork-ok-pleassss-goes-viral-168700">had sexually harassed her on the sets of 'Horn Ok </a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/entertainment/watch-footage-attack-tanushree-duttas-car-sets-hork-ok-pleassss-goes-viral-168700">Pleasss</a><a href="http://www.wionews.com/entertainment/watch-footage-attack-tanushree-duttas-car-sets-hork-ok-pleassss-goes-viral-168700">'. </a>She even accused the film’s choreographer Ganesh Acharya, director Rakesh Sarang and producer Samee Siddique of being mute spectators on the set and allying with Patekar when the incident took place. Tanushree was to do a special song in the film and she eventually left the set and was replaced by Rakhi Sawant.&nbsp;

Incidentally, Dutta had raised objection a decade back, when the incident had actually taken place but the Police and the film body had not taken any action against Patekar. Tanushree's tell-all incident not only started a conversation on sexual harassment in Bollywood but also encouraged other women in the film industry to speak up.&nbsp;

In an emotional post on Facebook, TV producer Vinta Nanda accused actor <a href="http://www.wionews.com/entertainment/sanskaari-alok-nath-accused-of-rape-by-woman-filmmaker-170341">Alok Nath of brutally raping her.</a> The incident took place 20 years ago, and Vinta in a press conference later said how Tanushree Dutta's case had given her the confidence to speak up, many years after the incident. Several other actresses including TV actress Sandhya Mridul and <a href="http://www.wionews.com/entertainment/after-sandhya-mridul-now-actor-deepika-amin-accuses-alok-nath-of-harassment-170792">Dipika Amin</a> corroborated Nanda's story with their own personal encounters with Nath. Both accused him of sexual harassment on different occasions on film sets. Nath did not react to the accusations but filed a defamation case against Nanda.&nbsp;

Soon after Tanushree Dutta's interview, another case that completely shook the film industry was the <a href="http://www.wionews.com/entertainment/phantom-films-partners-separate-their-ways-169793">dissolving of &nbsp;Phantom Films</a>. The production house which had made critically acclaimed films like 'Lootera', 'Udta Punjab', 'Queen' and others was co-founded by Anurag Kashyap, Vikramaditya Motwane, Madhu Mantena and Vikas Bahl. A <a href="http://www.wionews.com/entertainment-news/kangana-ranaut-accuses-queen-director-vikas-bahl-of-sexual-misconduct-169920">former employee had accused Bahl</a> of misconduct in 2016 but the case finally came into light after Tanushree Dutta's case got widely reported in September this year. In a detailed report on Huffington Post, the victim stated that how during a party in Goa, Bahl had molested her and she had even gone and complained to Kashyap about it later but no action was taken while Bahl continued to harass her until she finally quit the company.&nbsp; 
 
Subsequently, both Nath and Bahl were expelled from film bodies. CINTAA served a show cause notice to Alok Nath while Bahl was sent one from &nbsp;Indian Film and Television Directors'Association(IFTDA).&nbsp;

Several other prominent names came out in the wake of the movement. Multiple women accused Subhash Ghai, Kailash Kher, Rajat Kapoor, Chetan Bhagat, Anu Malik, <a href="http://www.wionews.com/entertainment/metoo-multiple-women-accuse-sajid-khan-of-sexual-misconduct-harassment-171007">Sajid Khan of sexual misconduct.</a> The MeToo movement also heavily impacted other industries as well with prominent names from media, politics, and theatre got called out.&nbsp;

The impact

As prominent names from the entertainment industry came out, there was the natural uproar. The need of the hour was to disengage with those who had been serial offenders.&nbsp;

Amid the #MeToo drama, several producers and actors to a stand publicly and disassociated themselves from those who had been accused. Vikas Bahl was asked to finish the patchwork of 'Super 30' a film that he was directing but his name <a href="http://www.wionews.com/entertainment/vikas-bahl-may-not-be-credited-for-his-work-in-super-30-170450">would not be credited for direction</a>. Aamir Khan and<a href="http://www.wionews.com/entertainment/housefull-4-sajid-khan-steps-down-as-director-akshay-kumar-says-wont-work-with-proven-offenders-171068"> Akshay Kumar </a>both decided to disassociate themselves with Subhash Kapoor and Sajid Khan respectively. Both the actors were working on projects that were being helmed by these men.&nbsp;

Malik had to step down from his role as a judge on the reality show 'Indian Idol' and Sajid Khan was asked to step down as the director of 'Housefull 4' which incidentally also had Nana Patekar in the cast. He was eventually replaced by Rana Daggubati.&nbsp;

Mumbai film festival (MAMI) decided to drop three films — AIB’s Chintu Ka Birthday, Anurag Kashyap’s 'Bebaak' and Rajat Kapoor’s 'Kadakh' — from its lineup. OTT platforms Amazon Prime Video and Hotstar too cancelled shows that they had worked on with AIB and Chakraborty.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, 11 women Indian filmmakers joined hands to support the movement and pledged to not work with those men who had been accused in the movement. Alankrita Shrivastava, Gauri Shinde, Kiran Rao, Konkona Sen Sharma, Meghna Guizar, Nandita Das, Nitya Mehra, Reema Kagti, Ruchi Narain, Shonali Bose and Zoya Akhtar were some of the women who decided to take a stand.&nbsp;

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Accused of sexual misconduct by 4 women, Anirban Blah, the founder and head of talent management agency KWAN Entertainment, trying to commit suicide at Vashi bridge in Mumbai in October but was rescued by traffic police and then sent to police custody.&nbsp;

The way forward

While a lot of the companies- not just in entertainment industries, but outside of it as well- have pledged to create a more safe workplace environment, perpetrators are still at large. Some who were sent on forced leave as names came out have now resumed work in their workplace. Many of those accused in the entertainment industry continue to get work. A lot have argued that there is also a need for thorough investigations in each of the case so as an unbiased judgment can be made as a lot of careers are at stake. Insiders, though the state, that only a fraction of names has been reported in the #MeToo movement and <a href="http://www.wionews.com/entertainment/imran-khan-on-vikas-bahl-everyone-in-the-film-industry-knew-have-heard-stories-from-three-other-actresses-170614">that lot of names, prominent ones, will never get reported thereby limiting the impact of the movement in the country.</a> It is also to be seen whether those who lost out of work because of repeated harassment, including Dutta who eventually left the film industry altogether, would get an opportunity to make a fresh start in Bollywood or not.&nbsp;

While the outcome of the movement is yet to be fully understood, it should be noted that after years of being mum about issues, Bollywood finally found its voice in 2018.&nbsp;

When American actress Alysa Milano urged women across the world to speak up against sexual violence in 2017, the #MeToo hashtag became viral almost instantly. Milano tweeted, "If you’ve been sexually harassed or assaulted write ‘me too’ as a reply to this tweet," and scores of women across the world shared personal experiences on social media leading to the beginning of global #MeToo movement.

When American actress Alysa Milano urged women across the world to speak up against sexual violence in 2017, the #MeToo hashtag became viral almost instantly. Milano tweeted, "If you’ve been sexually harassed or assaulted write ‘me too’ as a reply to this tweet," and scores of women across the world shared personal experiences on social media leading to the beginning of global #MeToo movement. One of the first names to have come out in the movement was Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein as multiple women accused him of rape, sexual harassment, and misconduct. These women also included prominent names from the cinema including Gwyneth Paltrow, Jennifer Anniston, Angelina Jolie and others. Soon enough, the movement caught everyone's attention in other countries. While France, Israel, Canada, Italy were the first few countries to join America in the movement, closer home in India, the movement took nearly 8 months to gain momentum. There were, of course, the initial reports that were reported on social media but it was only when former Miss India and actress Tanushree Dutta accused Nana Patekar of sexual misconduct on a film set in 2008, did the movement get its much-needed boost in India. In an interview to a news channel, Tanushree recalled how Patekar had sexually harassed her on the sets of 'Horn Ok Pleasss'. She even accused the film’s choreographer Ganesh Acharya, director Rakesh Sarang and producer Samee Siddique of being mute spectators on the set and allying with Patekar when the incident took place. Tanushree was to do a special song in the film and she eventually left the set and was replaced by Rakhi Sawant. Incidentally, Dutta had raised objection a decade back, when the incident had actually taken place but the Police and the film body had not taken any action against Patekar. Tanushree's tell-all incident not only started a conversation on sexual harassment in Bollywood but also encouraged other women in the film industry to speak up. In an emotional post on Facebook, TV producer Vinta Nanda accused actor Alok Nath of brutally raping her. The incident took place 20 years ago, and Vinta in a press conference later said how Tanushree Dutta's case had given her the confidence to speak up, many years after the incident. Several other actresses including TV actress Sandhya Mridul and Dipika Amin corroborated Nanda's story with their own personal encounters with Nath. Both accused him of sexual harassment on different occasions on film sets. Nath did not react to the accusations but filed a defamation case against Nanda. Soon after Tanushree Dutta's interview, another case that completely shook the film industry was the dissolving of Phantom Films. The production house which had made critically acclaimed films like 'Lootera', 'Udta Punjab', 'Queen' and others was co-founded by Anurag Kashyap, Vikramaditya Motwane, Madhu Mantena and Vikas Bahl. A former employee had accused Bahl of misconduct in 2016 but the case finally came into light after Tanushree Dutta's case got widely reported in September this year. In a detailed report on Huffington Post, the victim stated that how during a party in Goa, Bahl had molested her and she had even gone and complained to Kashyap about it later but no action was taken while Bahl continued to harass her until she finally quit the company. Subsequently, both Nath and Bahl were expelled from film bodies. CINTAA served a show cause notice to Alok Nath while Bahl was sent one from Indian Film and Television Directors'Association(IFTDA). Several other prominent names came out in the wake of the movement. Multiple women accused Subhash Ghai, Kailash Kher, Rajat Kapoor, Chetan Bhagat, Anu Malik, Sajid Khan of sexual misconduct. The MeToo movement also heavily impacted other industries as well with prominent names from media, politics, and theatre got called out. The impact As prominent names from the entertainment industry came out, there was the natural uproar. The need of the hour was to disengage with those who had been serial offenders. Amid the #MeToo drama, several producers and actors to a stand publicly and disassociated themselves from those who had been accused. Vikas Bahl was asked to finish the patchwork of 'Super 30' a film that he was directing but his name would not be credited for direction. Aamir Khan and Akshay Kumar both decided to disassociate themselves with Subhash Kapoor and Sajid Khan respectively. Both the actors were working on projects that were being helmed by these men. Malik had to step down from his role as a judge on the reality show 'Indian Idol' and Sajid Khan was asked to step down as the director of 'Housefull 4' which incidentally also had Nana Patekar in the cast. He was eventually replaced by Rana Daggubati. Mumbai film festival (MAMI) decided to drop three films — AIB’s Chintu Ka Birthday, Anurag Kashyap’s 'Bebaak' and Rajat Kapoor’s 'Kadakh' — from its lineup. OTT platforms Amazon Prime Video and Hotstar too cancelled shows that they had worked on with AIB and Chakraborty. Meanwhile, 11 women Indian filmmakers joined hands to support the movement and pledged to not work with those men who had been accused in the movement. Alankrita Shrivastava, Gauri Shinde, Kiran Rao, Konkona Sen Sharma, Meghna Guizar, Nandita Das, Nitya Mehra, Reema Kagti, Ruchi Narain, Shonali Bose and Zoya Akhtar were some of the women who decided to take a stand. View this post on Instagram #metooindia A post shared by Konkona Sensharma (@konkona) on Oct 13, 2018 at 10:07pm PDT × Accused of sexual misconduct by 4 women, Anirban Blah, the founder and head of talent management agency KWAN Entertainment, trying to commit suicide at Vashi bridge in Mumbai in October but was rescued by traffic police and then sent to police custody. The way forward While a lot of the companies- not just in entertainment industries, but outside of it as well- have pledged to create a more safe workplace environment, perpetrators are still at large. Some who were sent on forced leave as names came out have now resumed work in their workplace. Many of those accused in the entertainment industry continue to get work. A lot have argued that there is also a need for thorough investigations in each of the case so as an unbiased judgment can be made as a lot of careers are at stake. Insiders, though the state, that only a fraction of names has been reported in the #MeToo movement and that lot of names, prominent ones, will never get reported thereby limiting the impact of the movement in the country. It is also to be seen whether those who lost out of work because of repeated harassment, including Dutta who eventually left the film industry altogether, would get an opportunity to make a fresh start in Bollywood or not. While the outcome of the movement is yet to be fully understood, it should be noted that after years of being mum about issues, Bollywood finally found its voice in 2018.

2018: The year when #MeToo came to India and Bollywood found its voice

French police have questioned film star Gerard Depardieu over allegations that he raped a young actress, which he strongly denies, a police source said Wednesday.&nbsp;

The source said the 69-year-old actor attended a police interview on Tuesday and is not being kept in custody. He was free to terminate the questioning at any time.

"Gerard Depardieu absolutely denies any attack, any rape," his lawyer Herve Temime told AFP after the actress filed a complaint against him in late August.

"I regret the public nature of this process which is doing major harm to Gerard Depardieu, whose innocence will certainly be proven," Temime said.

Depardieu is accused of raping and assaulting the actress at his mansion in the French capital's chic 6th district between August 7 and 13 this year.

The Parisien newspaper previously reported that the alleged victim is an actress and dancer in her twenties who had sought career advice from Depardieu.&nbsp;

The accusations are the latest in a string against prominent men worldwide in the wake of the rape and assault claims against Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein.

French director and producer Luc Besson, most famous for international hits such as "The Fifth Element", was questioned last month over allegations that he also raped a young actress.

On Wednesday five more women accused Besson of sexual assault and harassment, bringing to nine the number of women who have made complaints against him.

Depardieu, who has made more than 180 films, became the face of French cinema through films such as "Cyrano de Bergerac", for which he was nominated for an Oscar.

He has rarely strayed far from the headlines in France.

In 2013 he sparked a huge outcry by taking Russian nationality to protest a proposed tax hike on the rich in his homeland.

His alleged victim filed her complaint in Provence, southern France, and local prosecutors immediately opened an investigation.&nbsp;

The case was transferred to Paris prosecutors on Wednesday.

French police have questioned film star Gerard Depardieu over allegations that he raped a young actress, which he strongly denies, a police source said Wednesday.

French police have questioned film star Gerard Depardieu over allegations that he raped a young actress, which he strongly denies, a police source said Wednesday. The source said the 69-year-old actor attended a police interview on Tuesday and is not being kept in custody. He was free to terminate the questioning at any time. "Gerard Depardieu absolutely denies any attack, any rape," his lawyer Herve Temime told AFP after the actress filed a complaint against him in late August. "I regret the public nature of this process which is doing major harm to Gerard Depardieu, whose innocence will certainly be proven," Temime said. Depardieu is accused of raping and assaulting the actress at his mansion in the French capital's chic 6th district between August 7 and 13 this year. The Parisien newspaper previously reported that the alleged victim is an actress and dancer in her twenties who had sought career advice from Depardieu. The accusations are the latest in a string against prominent men worldwide in the wake of the rape and assault claims against Hollywood mogul Harvey Weinstein. French director and producer Luc Besson, most famous for international hits such as "The Fifth Element", was questioned last month over allegations that he also raped a young actress. On Wednesday five more women accused Besson of sexual assault and harassment, bringing to nine the number of women who have made complaints against him. Depardieu, who has made more than 180 films, became the face of French cinema through films such as "Cyrano de Bergerac", for which he was nominated for an Oscar. He has rarely strayed far from the headlines in France. In 2013 he sparked a huge outcry by taking Russian nationality to protest a proposed tax hike on the rich in his homeland. His alleged victim filed her complaint in Provence, southern France, and local prosecutors immediately opened an investigation. The case was transferred to Paris prosecutors on Wednesday.

French film star Gerard Depardieu questioned in rape probe

'Race 3' actress Daisy Shah has been summoned by the Mumbai Police to record her statement in connection with Tanushree Dutta`s harassment allegations against Nana Patekar.

Tanushree Dutta earlier this year accused Patekar of misbehaving with her on the sets of 'Horn Ok Pleasss' back in 2008 while shooting for a dance number. &nbsp;She had also accused choreographer Ganesh Acharya and the film's director of being party to the matter and not stopping Patekar from misbehaving. Dutta has now filed an<a href="http://www.wionews.com/entertainment/tanushree-dutta-records-statement-with-police-after-filing-fir-against-nana-patekar-170834"> FIR against the actor.&nbsp;</a>

Daisy was an assistant of Acharya's back then and was present on set when the incident took place.&nbsp;

Patekar has refused the allegations against him. Patekar`s lawyer Aniket Nikam, told a news agency, "All allegations against him (Nana Patekar) are false and far from the truth".&nbsp;

'Race 3' actress Daisy Shah has been summoned by the Mumbai Police to record her statement in connection with Tanushree Dutta`s harassment allegations against Nana Patekar.

'Race 3' actress Daisy Shah has been summoned by the Mumbai Police to record her statement in connection with Tanushree Dutta`s harassment allegations against Nana Patekar. Tanushree Dutta earlier this year accused Patekar of misbehaving with her on the sets of 'Horn Ok Pleasss' back in 2008 while shooting for a dance number. She had also accused choreographer Ganesh Acharya and the film's director of being party to the matter and not stopping Patekar from misbehaving. Dutta has now filed an FIR against the actor. Daisy was an assistant of Acharya's back then and was present on set when the incident took place. Patekar has refused the allegations against him. Patekar`s lawyer Aniket Nikam, told a news agency, "All allegations against him (Nana Patekar) are false and far from the truth".

Daisy Shah summoned to record statement in Tanushree Dutta-Nana Patekar case

Aziz Ansari on Tuesday announced the first round of tour dates since sexual misconduct allegations were made against him earlier this year. The actor-comedian took to his Twitter handle to announce the tour dates.&nbsp; 
 
"New tour dates for 2019. On sale this week. Click here for cities. See ya on the road ding dongs," he wrote.&nbsp;

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New tour dates for 2019. On sale this week. Click here for cities. See ya on the road ding dongs. <a href="https://t.co/qVcEQZXjfn">https://t.co/qVcEQZXjfn</a> <a href="https://t.co/tS8Ia31OMQ">pic.twitter.com/tS8Ia31OMQ</a>
— Aziz Ansari (@azizansari) <a href="https://twitter.com/azizansari/status/1067505263396208640?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 27, 2018</a></blockquote>
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In January, Babe.net published an anonymous woman`s alleged account of an awkward sexual encounter with Ansari.&nbsp; 
 
Shortly after the revelations were made by the woman, the comedian <a href="http://www.wionews.com/world/entertainment-aziz-ansari-responds-to-allegation-of-sexual-misconduct-say-he-thought-it-was-completely-consensual-29650?amp">apologised for his inappropriate behaviour.</a> 
 
In a statement issued in response to the allegations, the 34-year-old actor recalled the night he met this woman and after days of talking to each other they eventually went on a date and ended up engaging in sexual activity, which by all indications was "completely consensual."&nbsp;

Aziz Ansari on Tuesday announced the first round of tour dates since sexual misconduct allegations were made against him earlier this year. The actor-comedian took to his Twitter handle to announce the tour dates.

Aziz Ansari on Tuesday announced the first round of tour dates since sexual misconduct allegations were made against him earlier this year. The actor-comedian took to his Twitter handle to announce the tour dates. "New tour dates for 2019. On sale this week. Click here for cities. See ya on the road ding dongs," he wrote. New tour dates for 2019. On sale this week. Click here for cities. See ya on the road ding dongs. https://t.co/qVcEQZXjfn pic.twitter.com/tS8Ia31OMQ — Aziz Ansari (@azizansari) November 27, 2018 × In January, Babe.net published an anonymous woman`s alleged account of an awkward sexual encounter with Ansari. Shortly after the revelations were made by the woman, the comedian apologised for his inappropriate behaviour. In a statement issued in response to the allegations, the 34-year-old actor recalled the night he met this woman and after days of talking to each other they eventually went on a date and ended up engaging in sexual activity, which by all indications was "completely consensual."

Aziz Ansari announces 1st tour dates since sexual misconduct allegations

Lara Dutta has once told husband, Tennis star Mahesh Bhupathi, about Sajid Khan's bad behaviour towards a female actor on the sets of 'Housefull'. Lara was part of the cast and was shooting in London when she had discussed it with Bhupathi, the tennis star revealed during an event on Women safety on Sunday.&nbsp;

“We were in London at that time. She would come home and her closest friend was her hairdresser and they both would be complaining about how one of her co-stars was being treated by the director. Rude, vulgar.

“I told her, ‘You guys are all complicit. All the four of you, who were in the film, were listening to what he was saying and not telling him it’s not ok. So, at some level you guys are complicit and she agreed,” Bhupathi said.

The moderator, journalist Barkha Dutt countered his point and stated that it was a coercive environment where other's work depended on Khan making it difficult for Lara to speak against him.&nbsp;

Bhupathi agreed that the fear of losing work was a valid reason but he felt it was important to call out a perpetrator's behaviour.

“I come from the sports industry where we think differently. In sports, the cream always rises to the top. If you’re good at what you do, you are going to win matches and get results. Obviously, the film industry is different. If the fraternity decides to ostracise you, you don’t get work. But I don’t think its a good enough reason to let things like these slide,” he said.

When he was asked what reasons Lara and her friend had given to him for not speaking out, Bhupathi said, "I think her explanation was the girl was sitting right here and she was ok with it or taking it.”

The sports star also criticised top Bollywood stars for not speaking on the ongoing #MeToo movement openly.

“I don’t think the cream of the industry has supported the movement. No one said anything. Everyone is on their super-fast path to success at different levels and if it’s not affecting them, it’s not affecting them,” he said.

Earlier Bhupathi, in a long statement, had appealed to everyone to stop engaging with those who had been accused of sexual misconduct. Both Bhupathi and his wife Lara Dutta have announced that they would not work with those individuals who have been serial offenders.&nbsp;

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/stopengaging?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#stopengaging</a> . Everyone seems to be horrified about the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/metoo?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#metoo</a> stories but why is no one saying anything?<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/useyourvoice?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#useyourvoice</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/timesup?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#timesup</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/CleanUp?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#CleanUp</a> <a href="https://t.co/FGOukZLyuF">pic.twitter.com/FGOukZLyuF</a>
— Mahesh Bhupathi (@Maheshbhupathi) <a href="https://twitter.com/Maheshbhupathi/status/1053241903657902080?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 19, 2018</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

Lara Dutta has once told husband, Tennis star Mahesh Bhupathi, about Sajid Khan's bad behaviour towards a female actor on the sets of 'Housefull'. Lara was part of the cast and was shooting in London when she had discussed it with Bhupathi, the tennis star revealed during an event on Women safety on Sunday.

Lara Dutta has once told husband, Tennis star Mahesh Bhupathi, about Sajid Khan's bad behaviour towards a female actor on the sets of 'Housefull'. Lara was part of the cast and was shooting in London when she had discussed it with Bhupathi, the tennis star revealed during an event on Women safety on Sunday. “We were in London at that time. She would come home and her closest friend was her hairdresser and they both would be complaining about how one of her co-stars was being treated by the director. Rude, vulgar. “I told her, ‘You guys are all complicit. All the four of you, who were in the film, were listening to what he was saying and not telling him it’s not ok. So, at some level you guys are complicit and she agreed,” Bhupathi said. The moderator, journalist Barkha Dutt countered his point and stated that it was a coercive environment where other's work depended on Khan making it difficult for Lara to speak against him. Bhupathi agreed that the fear of losing work was a valid reason but he felt it was important to call out a perpetrator's behaviour. “I come from the sports industry where we think differently. In sports, the cream always rises to the top. If you’re good at what you do, you are going to win matches and get results. Obviously, the film industry is different. If the fraternity decides to ostracise you, you don’t get work. But I don’t think its a good enough reason to let things like these slide,” he said. When he was asked what reasons Lara and her friend had given to him for not speaking out, Bhupathi said, "I think her explanation was the girl was sitting right here and she was ok with it or taking it.” The sports star also criticised top Bollywood stars for not speaking on the ongoing #MeToo movement openly. “I don’t think the cream of the industry has supported the movement. No one said anything. Everyone is on their super-fast path to success at different levels and if it’s not affecting them, it’s not affecting them,” he said. Earlier Bhupathi, in a long statement, had appealed to everyone to stop engaging with those who had been accused of sexual misconduct. Both Bhupathi and his wife Lara Dutta have announced that they would not work with those individuals who have been serial offenders. #stopengaging . Everyone seems to be horrified about the #metoo stories but why is no one saying anything?#useyourvoice #timesup #CleanUp pic.twitter.com/FGOukZLyuF — Mahesh Bhupathi (@Maheshbhupathi) October 19, 2018 ×

Lara had told me about Sajid Khan's behaviour with her 'Housefull' co-star: Mahesh Bhupathi

A lot of prominent faces from Bollywood were named in the #MeToo movement a few months back. Many of the filmmakers, actors and technicians were accused of sexual misconduct by women. Among them, filmmaker Sajid Khan's name came up in multiple accounts by women. Khan, who has directed several hit comedy films, denied the accusations but his cousin, actor-filmmaker Farhan Akhtar states that he should apologise to those he had offended.&nbsp; 
 
Akhtar says he feels a sense of guilt for not being aware of the indecent behaviour of his cousin.&nbsp; 
 
Sajid was accused of sexual harassment by two women -- actor Saloni Chopra and a journalist, following which he stepped down as the director of 'Housefull 4'.&nbsp;When the allegations had surfaced, Farhan, who has been a vocal supporter of #MeToo movement, was one of the first celebrities to react and had termed them as "shocking." 
 
"Everytime something like this has happened in the public domain, I've been very vocal with my opinion. When it came to someone within my family, I felt silence on that front would be very, very hypocritical," Farhan said. 
 
"So pretty much on the first day when three women came out and spoke, I felt it was important for me to speak out. Sajid, being my brother, I need to now work with him, try to figure out how he can see this thing through and how it is that he can make the women who have been affected by his actions, somehow feel better," he added.&nbsp; 
The actor was in conversation with journalist Barkha Dutt at We The Women event here.&nbsp; 
 
When Barkha said an apology alone would not suffice as sexual violation is a crime, Farhan said, "Absolutely. Whether stuff like this needs to go into the ambit of court is for them to decide. These are the things he (Sajid) has to face."&nbsp; 
 
"To start with apologising is a big step. To say 'I am sorry about what I did' is a big step, it can make a person feel a lot better," he added. 
 
Farhan said when he first heard about the accusations against his cousin, he had conflicting emotions.&nbsp; 
 
"It was a surprise, disappointment and strangely because when it's a member of your family, you also feel a certain level of guilt. It's happened to all of us in the past when we hear something like this and say 'but how come someone so close to him didn't know.'&nbsp; 
 
"The truth is I didn't. If I did know I would've spoken about it way before the story broke. There was this certain guilt about that, how could this be going on and I had no idea. So there were conflicted emotions," he said.&nbsp; 
 
Farhan feels he wishes he had known about Sajid's behaviour and said three women spoke to him privately, accusing the filmmaker of the same.&nbsp; 
 
"There were two-three women who got in touch with me privately to say 'listen you should know whatever is being said is true and he has behaved in a similar way with us as well.' These are the people I've known for 12, 15, 20 years and meet them very often but nobody ever mentioned this to me. I asked them why didn't you ever tell me?&nbsp; 
"I have been doing something with MARD for the last five years, I wouldn't have been on his side if you had brought it to my attention but somehow they weren't comfortable to speak about it," he said.&nbsp; 
 
But the actor says it is ultimately a woman's decision when she wants to come out and tell her story and she should be given that environment and space.&nbsp; 
"If someone has behaved badly with a woman and she hasn't spoken about it for ten, 20 or 30 years, it's her prerogative when she wants to speak. Even if someone tells me privately, like these three women, I cannot take their names.&nbsp; 
 
"Can I go to the public with that? I can't because she will be answerable then for the rest of her life and may be she first want to be. It's a woman's agency," he added.&nbsp; 
Also present at the panel discussion were politician Milind Deora and comedian Cyrus Broacha.&nbsp;

While Sajid denied the allegations, even as he quit 'Houseful 4', his sister, filmmaker, choreographer Farah Khan took to Twitter to lend her support to the affected women. Khan wrote, "This is a heartbreaking time for my family.We have to work through some very difficult issues. If my brother has behaved in this manner he has a lot to atone for.I don’t in any way endorse this behavior and Stand in solidarity with any woman who has been hurt."

(With inputs from PTI)

A lot of prominent faces from Bollywood were named in the #MeToo movement a few months back. Many of the filmmakers, actors and technicians were accused of sexual misconduct by women.

A lot of prominent faces from Bollywood were named in the #MeToo movement a few months back. Many of the filmmakers, actors and technicians were accused of sexual misconduct by women. Among them, filmmaker Sajid Khan's name came up in multiple accounts by women. Khan, who has directed several hit comedy films, denied the accusations but his cousin, actor-filmmaker Farhan Akhtar states that he should apologise to those he had offended. Akhtar says he feels a sense of guilt for not being aware of the indecent behaviour of his cousin. Sajid was accused of sexual harassment by two women -- actor Saloni Chopra and a journalist, following which he stepped down as the director of 'Housefull 4'. When the allegations had surfaced, Farhan, who has been a vocal supporter of #MeToo movement, was one of the first celebrities to react and had termed them as "shocking." "Everytime something like this has happened in the public domain, I've been very vocal with my opinion. When it came to someone within my family, I felt silence on that front would be very, very hypocritical," Farhan said. "So pretty much on the first day when three women came out and spoke, I felt it was important for me to speak out. Sajid, being my brother, I need to now work with him, try to figure out how he can see this thing through and how it is that he can make the women who have been affected by his actions, somehow feel better," he added. The actor was in conversation with journalist Barkha Dutt at We The Women event here. When Barkha said an apology alone would not suffice as sexual violation is a crime, Farhan said, "Absolutely. Whether stuff like this needs to go into the ambit of court is for them to decide. These are the things he (Sajid) has to face." "To start with apologising is a big step. To say 'I am sorry about what I did' is a big step, it can make a person feel a lot better," he added. Farhan said when he first heard about the accusations against his cousin, he had conflicting emotions. "It was a surprise, disappointment and strangely because when it's a member of your family, you also feel a certain level of guilt. It's happened to all of us in the past when we hear something like this and say 'but how come someone so close to him didn't know.' "The truth is I didn't. If I did know I would've spoken about it way before the story broke. There was this certain guilt about that, how could this be going on and I had no idea. So there were conflicted emotions," he said. Farhan feels he wishes he had known about Sajid's behaviour and said three women spoke to him privately, accusing the filmmaker of the same. "There were two-three women who got in touch with me privately to say 'listen you should know whatever is being said is true and he has behaved in a similar way with us as well.' These are the people I've known for 12, 15, 20 years and meet them very often but nobody ever mentioned this to me. I asked them why didn't you ever tell me? "I have been doing something with MARD for the last five years, I wouldn't have been on his side if you had brought it to my attention but somehow they weren't comfortable to speak about it," he said. But the actor says it is ultimately a woman's decision when she wants to come out and tell her story and she should be given that environment and space. "If someone has behaved badly with a woman and she hasn't spoken about it for ten, 20 or 30 years, it's her prerogative when she wants to speak. Even if someone tells me privately, like these three women, I cannot take their names. "Can I go to the public with that? I can't because she will be answerable then for the rest of her life and may be she first want to be. It's a woman's agency," he added. Also present at the panel discussion were politician Milind Deora and comedian Cyrus Broacha. While Sajid denied the allegations, even as he quit 'Houseful 4', his sister, filmmaker, choreographer Farah Khan took to Twitter to lend her support to the affected women. Khan wrote, "This is a heartbreaking time for my family.We have to work through some very difficult issues. If my brother has behaved in this manner he has a lot to atone for.I don’t in any way endorse this behavior and Stand in solidarity with any woman who has been hurt." (With inputs from PTI)

Farhan Akhtar on allegations against cousin Sajid Khan: Felt guilty for not knowing

An FIR may have been lodged against actor Alok Nath for rape, but his accuser Vinta Nanda is willing it to forgive him provided he shows some remorse over the incident.&nbsp;

In an interview to a news agency soon after the actor was booked for raping her in the late 1990s, the TV producer and writer said, " "I was never in this for revenge. I want correction, not revenge. Show some remorse, show some sign of repentance.

"Let me know that no other woman would be violated by you the way I was. All I see right now is an attitude of defiance and shamelessness. If that`s the way it is going to be, then I`ll see my fight for justice to the end."

<a href="http://www.wionews.com/entertainment/rape-case-filed-against-alok-nath-after-complaint-by-writer-vinta-nanda-178511">The Mumbai police lodged an FIR on Tuesday </a>based on Nanda's Facebook post where she accused the actor of raping her in the late 1990s.&nbsp;

"Actually the FIR was lodged on Tuesday. The media got wind of it on Wednesday morning and all hell broke loose. And I mean that in a good way.

"If it wasn`t for the media my fight for justice would never have come so far. I am lucky to have such invaluable support from my friends, my family and from the media who have pitched in their trust behind my fight.I feel blessed," said Nanda. &nbsp;

She also said that her legal battle would not be a lonely one. "Firstly, it`s not a lonely battle. I have my mother, family and several close friends with me. As for the legal battle ahead I am very well armed and equipped.&nbsp;

"Three of the brightest young lawyers of Mumbai -- Dhruti Kapadia, Faranaaz Kharbhari and Kunal Tiwari -- are fighting my case free of cost. They believe in my fight.&nbsp;

"Today I can dare to face a legal battle without fearing the financial burden," the 48-year-old said.

She feels what the #MeToo movement has done is awaken the nation`s conscience to their responsibilities as citizens.

"There is just no room or tolerance for inappropriate behaviour anymore," she said, adding that her fight for justice is not her own.&nbsp;

"There are so many women out there who have been raped, molested, harassed, eveteased.&nbsp;

"Men who thought troubling women was their birthright have been forced to reconsider their patriarchal definitions of gender relations.

"What seemed `normal` to them earlier will land them in serious trouble now. And they know it. That`s the difference."

Vinta is surprised at how Alok Nath refuses to acknowledge the wrong he has done. "He is brazening it out when he should have apologised. Instead, he got his wife to speak on his behalf. That is so sad.&nbsp;

"In our society women still feel like standing by their husbands -- no matter how wrong they are -- is their dharma. Men take advantage of this unconditional spousal support," she added.

An FIR may have been lodged against actor Alok Nath for rape, but his accuser Vinta Nanda is willing it to forgive him provided he shows some remorse over the incident.

An FIR may have been lodged against actor Alok Nath for rape, but his accuser Vinta Nanda is willing it to forgive him provided he shows some remorse over the incident. In an interview to a news agency soon after the actor was booked for raping her in the late 1990s, the TV producer and writer said, " "I was never in this for revenge. I want correction, not revenge. Show some remorse, show some sign of repentance. "Let me know that no other woman would be violated by you the way I was. All I see right now is an attitude of defiance and shamelessness. If that`s the way it is going to be, then I`ll see my fight for justice to the end." The Mumbai police lodged an FIR on Tuesday based on Nanda's Facebook post where she accused the actor of raping her in the late 1990s. "Actually the FIR was lodged on Tuesday. The media got wind of it on Wednesday morning and all hell broke loose. And I mean that in a good way. "If it wasn`t for the media my fight for justice would never have come so far. I am lucky to have such invaluable support from my friends, my family and from the media who have pitched in their trust behind my fight.I feel blessed," said Nanda. She also said that her legal battle would not be a lonely one. "Firstly, it`s not a lonely battle. I have my mother, family and several close friends with me. As for the legal battle ahead I am very well armed and equipped. "Three of the brightest young lawyers of Mumbai -- Dhruti Kapadia, Faranaaz Kharbhari and Kunal Tiwari -- are fighting my case free of cost. They believe in my fight. "Today I can dare to face a legal battle without fearing the financial burden," the 48-year-old said. She feels what the #MeToo movement has done is awaken the nation`s conscience to their responsibilities as citizens. "There is just no room or tolerance for inappropriate behaviour anymore," she said, adding that her fight for justice is not her own. "There are so many women out there who have been raped, molested, harassed, eveteased. "Men who thought troubling women was their birthright have been forced to reconsider their patriarchal definitions of gender relations. "What seemed `normal` to them earlier will land them in serious trouble now. And they know it. That`s the difference." Vinta is surprised at how Alok Nath refuses to acknowledge the wrong he has done. "He is brazening it out when he should have apologised. Instead, he got his wife to speak on his behalf. That is so sad. "In our society women still feel like standing by their husbands -- no matter how wrong they are -- is their dharma. Men take advantage of this unconditional spousal support," she added.

Vinta Nanda willing to forgive Alok Nath, says 'show some sign of repentance'

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