Ever since actress Tanushree Dutta has spoken up against the harassment she faced on the sets of the 2008 film, ‘Horn Ok Pleasss’, her strong stand has given voice to many women who were afraid to open their mouth. Now many women have come forward and the #Metoo movement is taking shape in India. Not only Nana Patekar but Alok Nath, Vikas Bahl, Rajat Kapoor and many more are facing the consequences of their actions. A photojournalist had also accused singer Kalesh Kher of sexually harassing her when she went to his house for an interview in 2006. Another woman accused Kailash Kher of inviting her repeatedly to his hotel room in Kolkata.
And we now have singer Sona Mohapatra who does not hesitate to speak her mind, also accusing Kailash Kher of making inappropriate sexual advances in a series of tweets.
Sona tweeted how Kher kept making inappropriate advances towards her when they had met to collaborate for a song. Also, the singer kept his hand on her thigh telling her how beautiful she is and how she is lucky to have been found by a singer, not an actor.
Check out her series of tweets slamming Kher here:
(1) I met Kailash for coffee in Prithvi Café to discuss a forthcoming concert where both our bands were playing & after the usual, a hand on my thigh with lines likes, your so beautiful, feel so good that a ‘musician got you’ (Ram) not an actor. I left not soon after. (1) https://t.co/Cfz8Hf4sdP
— SONA (@sonamohapatra) October 9, 2018
She further added how he continued to make advances when they landed in Dhaka and kept calling her repeatedly. When she did not answer, he called the organisers to ask Sona to go to his room to ‘catch up’ and skip the sound check.
(2) That did not deter Kailash Kher though. On landing in Dhaka & on my way to the venue with the organisers, keeps calling me & when I don’t pick up, calls the organisers phone to get through to me & asks me to ‘skip’ the soundcheck & join him in his room instead to ‘catch up’ https://t.co/beBehXBLup
— SONA (@sonamohapatra) October 9, 2018
3)The fact that Kailash had sung in my studios & for many projects in which I was the producer & knew me to be as strong as i am or that he had only recently taken a favour from my partner @RamSampathLive to create a personal track for him didn’t stop him. #TheHubris of such #men https://t.co/GLHvCsIPDR
— SONA (@sonamohapatra) October 9, 2018
Kailash recently issued an apology and told a news channel that he respects women and would never think of doing something as disrespectful as this. She told him off on Twitter saying that it will take him a lifetime to apologise to all the women that he has misbehaved with.
How many women will you apologise to Kailash Kher??? Start now. Will take a lifetime. (4) ??? https://t.co/yZimwUshoE
— SONA (@sonamohapatra) October 9, 2018
The shamelessness of this man. To call himself ‘simple’, ‘devoted to music’ & even claiming amnesia. If this chap could dare try this stunt with me, it’s a disease that he has & I can vouch for not only these two women’s stories but hundreds more he would’ve have preyed on. ? https://t.co/UaBL2rfz2h
— SONA (@sonamohapatra) October 9, 2018
1)I am not anonymous & nor is 1 of the other women who did so.
2) I can only imagine the embarrassment & fear that many feel to put such matters in the public domain
3) This isn’t to say that anyone should get accused wrongly,multiple people corroborating a story always better https://t.co/1rKQZtmgu0— SONA (@sonamohapatra) October 10, 2018
Dear Shruti, please note that in #India the truly big names who play this game in the industry, no one will even mention.Also,very few women will admit to the full extent of their trauma lest she be slut-shamed.These ‘creepy’ chats tell an important story. Don’t trivialise them. https://t.co/q78YbTbGPP
— SONA (@sonamohapatra) October 10, 2018
Looks like the #MeToo movement has caught its hold in Bollywood. What are your views on this?
Also Read: Singer Kailash Kher accused of sexual harassment by a female journalist