Filmmaker Vikas Bahl has responded to the show cause notice that was sent to him by the Indian Film & Television Directors' Association (IFTDA), in which he denied allegations of sexual harassment levelled against him, reports a leading website.
"I deny all the alleged sexual harassment charges levelled against me and as stated in your said notice. These alleged charges are not only false, erroneous, malicious, motivated but have no factual basis," Vikas said in the notice as reported by the website.
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File photo of Vikas Bahl.[/caption]
Vikas was accused of sexual harassment by the woman, a former employee of the film collective Phantom Films, for an incident that took place in 2015 in Goa during the promotion of the banner’s movie Bombay Velvet. The allegation resurfaced as the #MeToo movement garnered steam in India, leading some others, including Queen actress Kangana Ranaut, to point fingers at Vikas’ behaviour towards women.
In his response, Vikas also said that his former partners Anurag Kashyap and Vikramaditya Motwane, against whom he has filed a defamation suit, attempted to malign his image.
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L-R: Anurag Kashyap, Vikas Bahl, Madhu Mantena and Vikramaditya Motwane[/caption]
"My partners Mr Anurag Kashyap and Mr Vikramaditya Motwane have published defamatory tweets/articles/statements against me with an intent to settle personal scores, exact vendetta, and due to professional jealousy and with the sole intent to defame me, malign my image and destroy my career and hence I request your good office not to rely upon any statement so made by them," he added.
Kashyap came out in support of the allegations in a report and also tweeted about it, while Motwane called Vikas a “sexual offender”. Vikas had said earlier that the defendants are “taking advantage of the ongoing #MeToo movement in the country”.
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