Delhi Women’s Commission chief Swati Maliwal recently wrote to Union Minister Anurag Thakur seeking the removal of director, producer Sajid Khan from reality show Bigg Boss. “Sajid Khan’s inclusion in the show underlines the precedence that men who enjoy clout in the entertainment industry easily get away with abusive acts without facing any consequences,” DCW Chief Maliwal’s statement read.
For the unversed, Sajid Khan was alleged of sexual harassment in inappropriate behaviour by multiple women during the #MeToo movement back in 2018. “Ten women had accused Sajid Khan of sexual harassment during the #MeToo movement. All these complaints show the disgusting mentality of Sajid. Now, this man has been given a place in Bigg Boss, which is wrong,” Swati Maliwal’s statement further read.
After being alleged of sexual harassment and misconduct, Sajid was suspended by the Indian Film and Television Directors’ Association (IFTDA), and he also stepped down as the director of Houseful 4.
Meanwhile, in Bigg Boss Sajid has not not made any statements regarding the allegations. However, recently in one of the episodes, he said he was the “father” of everyone. “Yeh sab TV serials ke actors hai, tu samaj. Aur TV serials ke actors na, yeh log basically… inko lagta hai yeh humari duniya hai. Mai baap hu yeh sab cheez ka,” the actor had said.
The Facts of the Matter
Amid the outrage on social media, and debates on actions having no consequences, Sajid Khan entered the Bigg Boss house with raised eyebrows. The popular film director, who made a name for himself in the industry for making massy-comedies like Housefull, was alleged of sexual harassment in 2017 when #MeToo movement was at its peak.
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DCW Chief Writes to Union Minister Anurag Thakur
Many netizens have since debated whether Sajid deserves a place in the Bigg Boss house or not. The debate has taken a new turn as Delhi Women’s Commission (DCW) chief Swati Maliwal wrote a letter to Union Minister Anurag Thakur, seeking the removal of Sajid from the reality-show.
“Ten women had accused Sajid Khan of sexual harassment during the #MeToo movement. All these complaints show the disgusting mentality of Sajid. Now, this man has been given a place in Bigg Boss, which is wrong. I have written to @ianuragthakur to have Sajid Khan removed from this show,” Maliwal’s tweet in Hindi read.
Sajid Khan’s Tainted History in #MeToo Movement
For the unversed, Sajid Khan was removed from the Indian Film and Television Directors’ Association (IFTDA) in 2018, after being alleged of sexual harassment. Several women, including two actresses – Saloni Chopra and Rachel White, and another journalist, made shocking allegations against Khan.
The allegations ranged from Khan making inappropriate comments, asking them to do inappropriate acts to get a role in his film, flashing them, and more. A journalist also went as far as alleging Khan of forcibly kissing her.
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Journalist Hurls Shocking Allegations Against Khan
In her statement, the journalist wrote, “The first time I interviewed Sajid Khan in the early 2000s, he called me to the house he shared w/ his sister. Thru the interview he talked about how large his penis is & how he knew how to satisfy a woman.”
The Aftermath
After the allegations were made, Said stepped down as the director of Houseful 4, which was directed by Farhad Samji. While most celebrities kept their silence in the matter, some celebrities including Akshay Kumar, Twinkle Khanna and Farhan Akhtar expressed their shock and anger regarding the allegations levelled against Sajid.
Appalled hearing multiple incidents of harassment and it is truly horrific to hear what these women have been through. Everyone involved in Housefull needs to take a firm stance on this issue. This cannot go on.
— Twinkle Khanna (@mrsfunnybones) October 12, 2018
— Akshay Kumar (@akshaykumar) October 12, 2018
I cannot adequately stress how shocked, disappointed and heartbroken I am to read the stories about Sajid’s behaviour.
I don’t know how but he will have to find a way to atone for his alleged actions.— Farhan Akhtar (@FarOutAkhtar) October 12, 2018
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