Fox Star Studios India has suspended the services of casting director Mukesh Chhabra over allegations of sexual harassment. An investigation into the claims will be made, the company said. Mukesh is currently directing Kizie Aur Manny, the Bollywood remake of The Fault in Our Stars.
On Friday morning, Fox Star Hindi released a statement via its official twitter handle saying that the organization has suspended the services of the director till the Internal Complaints Committee (ICC) of Mukesh Chhabra Casting Company concludes its inquiry into the allegations against him.
— Fox Star Hindi (@foxstarhindi) October 19, 2018
Chhabra is known to be one of Bollywood’s best-known casting directors. He is known for casting films like Gangs Of Wasseypur, Kai Po Che!, D-Day and Highway. Last week in Mid-Day it was reported Mukesh and Vicky Sidana, another casting director, were alleged of sexual harassment.
The story had a quote from an anonymous accuser who said that Chhabra “grabbed me hard and felt me up” during an audition. However Chhabra has denied the charges, telling the newspaper that he would pursue “every possible legal action to protect my reputation.”
My response to the Mid-Day article @mid_day #truthwillalwaysprevail pic.twitter.com/LDRcadAKwx
— Mukesh Chhabra CSA (@CastingChhabra) October 13, 2018
Meanwhile, Sushant Singh Rajput who plays the lead in Kizie Aur Manny — Mukesh Chhabra’s directorial debut, was also accused of making his co-star, actress Sanjana Sanghi, “uncomfortable” on set and that, according to reports, Chhabra “did not take a stand” on the issue. However Rajput dismissed the allegations as a “smear campaign.”
I feel sad to reveal personal information but it seems that there is no other way to state what was, in the midst of this curated and well timed smear campaign. From the first till the last day of the shoot, this is what happened on the Set with Sanjana. (2/2) pic.twitter.com/vTOcbSwada
— Sushant Singh Rajput (@itsSSR) October 19, 2018
The allegations of sexual harassment in Bollywood has impacted various upcoming projects. Actor-producer Aamir Khan distanced himself from the Gulshan Kumar biopic Mogul owing to allegations of sexual misconduct against director Subhash Kapoor. Similarly, actor Akshay Kumar cancelled the shooting of his upcoming film Housefull 4 following sexual misconduct allegations against the film’s director, Sajid Khan. The film is produced by Sajid Nadiadwala and distributed by Fox Star Studios India.
The #MeToo movement in Bollywood was ignited when actress Tanushree Dutta said Nana Patekar’s harassed her the sets of Horn OK Pleassss in 2008.
