A day after Producer and writer Vinta Nanda accused Alok Nath of sexually abusing her almost 20 years ago, a woman crew member of Hum Saath Saath Hain on Wednesday has come up with her experience of working with him.
Recounting her experience, the woman told a leading daily, "We were shooting for a night scene and I had taken a change of costumes to him. Once I handed him the clothes, he started stripping in front of me. I was taken aback and tried to make my way out of the room as soon as possible. When I tried to run out, he grabbed my hand and manhandled me. I remember yanking my hand out of his grip and rushing out of the room," she alleged.
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The woman added that she couldn't speak as she was scared that the director of the television series who was very close to Nath would throw her out of the casting list. "I was shell-shocked; I couldn't muster the courage to speak up against him. He was extremely close to the Barjatyas, and Sooraj sir would have taken it badly," she was quoted as saying.
Vinta Nanda, who has made allegation of sexual assault against Alok Nath, on Tuesday said that for the first time after 20 years she is feeling fearless to talk about the incident.
Alok Nath, known as the "sanskaari bapuji" from family dramas, reacted on the incident, saying he "neither denies nor agrees" with Vinta Nanda's allegations and that "only what a woman says will be considered".
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When asked Nanda to comment on Nath's stand on the issue, she said: "He is obviously disempowered. You need guts to come out and say yes to what had happened and seek apology for it. He didn't deny even in 2003-2005 when I talked and wrote about it in the media, so he is not in a position to deny my claims even today. For the first time in 20 years, I am feeling fearless because I have spoken out which I had to."
When asked whether she approached the media and the TV channel concerned when the incident happened with her, Nanda said: "That wasn't the time... When I opened my mouth, so many cameras and so much press wasn't around me. When I spoke then, not a single person asked me whether it had really happened. It was all brushed under the carpet..."
"Everybody in the channel also knew about it and the press had reported the incident due to which he was thrown out of the serial. If you go back to the archives, you will see all those reports."
The #MeToo movement gained momentum in India after Tanushree Dutta spoke up against Nana Patekar almost two weeks ago. Following the revelation, many more such cases have come into the light. Filmmaker Vikas Bahl, among many others, has also been outed as alleged predators.
