#MeToo: Aspiring actors accuse casting directors Mukesh Chhabra, Vicky Sidana of sexual harassment

By Gurpreet Kaur

on October 13, 2018

Ever since India's #MeToo movement has gained momentum, several celebs including Alok Nath, Vikas Bahl, Rajat Kapoor and Sajid Khan among others, have been named and shames by the survivors. Now the latest names to come under the line of fire are that of casting directors Mukesh Chhabra and Vicky Sidana, who have been accused of sexual misconduct.

In four separate incidents, aspiring actresses told their horrific stories to a leading daily. One of them claimed that Mukesh grabbed her hard and felt her up when she went for audition in a 2015 mega budget film at his Aaram Nagar office. "I could feel his hand on my butt. I was shell-shocked and immediately withdrew. He realised [my trepidation] and started vehemently apologising," she added.

Another budding actress recalled a phone conversation she had with Mukesh for a Varun Dhawan starrer in 2017. She stated that he asked her to get physical with people in power and when she expressed her denial, Mukesh told her, "I am not promising that people ready to compromise get selected. Everyone is ready to compromise. It's no big deal. We can meet at a hotel tonight."

Apart from Mukesh, Vicky too has been accused of sexual harassment by a survivor who was in talks with him for a Neeraj Pandey film. Recounting how Vicky tried to grope her sister, she added, "Vicky was giving a gyaan session about how I won't get offers if I don't offer sex. When I stepped out for a photoshoot, he got chatting with my sister. He then pushed her on the couch and squeezed her breast, all the while muttering, 'Actress kyun nahin ban jati.'"

Last but not the least, another actress alleged that Vicky "grabbed me from the side and tried to hug me" when she went over to his house to discuss a project three years ago.

Meanwhile, when the daily contact Mukesh and Vicky in regards with the recent accusations, both of them dismissed the claims by mentioning that casting agents suffer the wrath of those they don't cast. While Mukesh pointed out that "hard work and sweat cannot be erased by making false accusations" further promising to take legal action, Vicky stated that "casting directors are harassed by budding actors; they send objectionable pictures and messages."