Celebs, including his two former wives, come out in strong support of Anurag Kashyap

A major controversy was sparked on Saturday after Payal Ghosh accused filmmaker Anurag Kashyap of sexually harassing her. She even tweeted and requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to take action against him. On Sunday, Payal’s advocate Nitin Satpute said she had decided to lodge an FIR against Kashyap.

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Later, Kashyap’s lawyer Priyanka Khimani released a statement that read: “These allegations are completely false, malicious and dishonest. It is sad that a social movement as important as the #metoo movement has been co-opted by vested interests and reduced to a mere tool for character assassination… My client has been fully advised of his rights and remedies in law and intends to pursue them to the fullest extent.”

Meanwhile, in her #MeToo allegations against Anurag Kashyap, Payal has reportedly named celebrities such as Huma Qureshi, Richa Chadha and others. She alleged that Anurag told her it was okay for all the actresses who worked with him. Richa Chadha took to Twitter on Monday and issued a statement that she would be taking legal action against Ghosh for falsely dragging her name into controversies. Besides Richa, several other B-town ladies, including Anurag Kashyap’s ex-wives Aarti Bajaj and Kalki Koechlin, also came forward in his support.

Scant support for Payal

Payal Ghosh, in the meanwhile was cornered, but got support from Kangana Ranaut, who tweeted, “Bullywood is full of sexual predators who have fake and dummy marriages; they expect a new hot young girl to make them happy everyday, they do the same to young vulnerable men also, I have settled my scores my way I don’t need #MeToo but most girls do #PayalGhosh #AnuragKashyap (sic).”

Rekha Sharma, Chairperson, National Commission for Women also reached out, “You may send me the detailed complaint at chairperson-ncw@nic.in and @NCWIndia… Will look into it. @iampayalghosh.”

Payal Rohatgi too came in support of Ghosh. On her show she asked ‘so called feminist’ and out of work ‘B grade actresses’ to not support Kashyap, but Ghosh.

Ex-wives by Anurag’s side

Anurag’s first wife Aarti Bajaj slammed the #MeToo allegation on him and wrote on Instagram, “You are a rockstar @anuragkashyap10. Keep empowering women as you do and the safest place you create for all of them… Cheapest stunt I have seen till now. First it made me angry then I laughed so hard as it cannot come more framed than this…” Anurag’s ex-wife Kalki Koechlin also took to social media and wrote, “Dear Anurag, don’t let this social media circus get to you, you have fought for the freedom of women in your scripts, you’ve defended their integrity in your professional space as well as in your personal life…”

#IStandWithAnuragKashyap

Many celebs took to Twitter with hashtag #IStandWithAnuragKashyap. Here’s a look at some of their tweets:

Surveen Chawla

Let them creep. Let them crawl. U my friend as always stand tall. These false flag bearers of feminism….Opportunism… Ur life, ur work and the women u create with ur craft…speak volumes about u. I have the privilege to know the real feminist in u, I take the honour my friend to stand for u @anuragkashyap72.

Anjana Sukhani

There is no way he would misbehave or harrass women …no way @anuragkashyap72.

Guneet Monga

Don’t need Twitter to explain what @anuragkashyap72 means to many of us. As a woman, am here to share my journey & definitely here to call out bullshit. Let’s not ruin an important #Metoo movement for some agendas!

Tisca Chopra

To know my friend @anuragkashyap72 is to know generosity, honesty and decency at its core … Even a cursory look at his work reveals his worldview on women … Don’t know a bigger supporter of talent, men or women.

Taapsee Pannu

For you, my friend, are the biggest feminist I know. See you on the sets soon of yet another piece of art that shows how powerful and significant women are in the world you create.