KWAN founder Anirban Blah asked to step aside from duties after sexual harassment allegations

By Bollywood Reporter

on October 16, 2018

Renowned celebrity management company KWAN Entertainment has asked founder Anirban Blah to step aside from his duties and responsibilities after four women accused him of sexual harassment, it said in a statement on Tuesday. The women, on condition of anonymity, narrated their plight to a leading daily soon after which KWAN issued the statement.

“We have asked Anirban Blah to forthwith step aside from his duties, activities and responsibilities at KWAN, its subsidiaries and affiliates with immediate effect,” Kwan, which manages celebrities including Deepika Padukone, Ranbir Kapoor and Tiger Shroff, said in its statement.

While speaking to the daily, the women accused Anirban of inappropriate behaviour - one of them said that he allegedly asked her if she “would be willing to be part of an unnatural sex set-up,” after one of her successful films, as mentioned in the report.

[caption id="attachment_150851" align="aligncenter" width="800"] Anirban and Deepika photographed at an event in Mumbai.[/caption]

Another survivor said that Anirban demotivates aspiring actors by sexually harassing them. “Blah is a unique predator. First, you are made to feel inferior about your looks, your body. He told me I have small breasts, and hence, won't have a long run in the Indian market,” she said, as per the report in the daily.

[caption id="attachment_150853" align="aligncenter" width="621"] Anirban and Tiger photographed at an event in Mumbai.[/caption]

Allegations of sexual harassment against Anirban surfaced in the wake of the #MeToo movement that has encompassed the nation ever since Tanushree Dutta accused Nana Patekar of violating her while several other women outed filmmakers and actors as well as alleged sexual predators. So far, Alok Nath, Subhash Ghai, Vikas Bahl and Rajat Kapoor have also been accused of sexual harassment.