Stunt Director Alleges 9-Hour Wait And Disrespect On Anil Kapoor-Hosted Show; Actor Apologises

Stuntwoman Geeta Tandon has alleged that she and her son were kept waiting for nearly nine hours on the set of Anil Kapoor-hosted India Ke Top 1%. She said there was little communication from the production team. Farah Khan and Anil Kapoor later apologised after Tandon described the episode in a social media post.

Stunt coordinator's India Ke Top 1% set delay allegations

Tandon said in an eight-slide social media post that the show had invited her and her son as guests. She agreed to take part for no fee, hoping the exposure would help her get noticed, and said the experience left her feeling disrespected.

Tandon said the wait stretched across the day and she and her son finally left at 9.15 pm. She said she arrived at 12.30 pm after being told her segment would be filmed later that day.

She wrote, "I gave up a day's work and even called my son back from Goa specifically for the shoot."

Tandon said that she and her son sat inside a tent as the day slipped by, with no firm update on when they would be called. She said she kept pressing the team for answers and was repeatedly told they would get back to her.

She finally took the matter up with the production team after the long wait and the treatment she and her son received. "Your team invited me. Your team repeatedly followed up with me. I gave you my time, my professional commitments and my son's time, without asking for a single rupee. The least I expected was basic human dignity," she wrote.

What the production manager said

Tandon named the production manager as Jaydeep and described his response when she raised the issue. According to her post, he said, "If they want to leave, let them leave. But they can't leave without signing." She objected to that demand and asked why she and her son could not leave without signing a document. Tandon wrote that she was not willing to accept that attitude.

"Being a celebrity should not determine how much respect someone deserves. The person standing behind the camera deserves the same dignity as the person standing in front of it," she added.

Anil Kapoor and Farah Khan apologise

Farah Khan wrote, "Geetaji apologies.. I had no idea you were there as I was shooting for the 2nd episode in the evening.. otherwise would have made you sit in my van. As would Anil if he knew.. we have tremendous respect for you and your hard work."

Anil Kapoor, responding to the stuntwoman's post, wrote, "Geeta ji, it genuinely saddens me to hear this. As the host, I always wanted everyone who was part of the show to feel welcome and respected. You and your son came as our guests. I'm sorry that your experience left you feeling otherwise."

Geeta thanked both for speaking up and supporting her.

Who is Geeta Tandon?

Geeta has been in the Hindi film and television industry for over two decades. She has worked as a body double for actors, including Deepika Padukone, Katrina Kaif and Aishwarya Rai Bachchan. She showed her talent in projects such as Chennai Express, Singham, Ra.One, Sultan, Hasee Toh Phasee, Singh Saab The Great and The Family Man, among others.