Mumbai: Actress Shilpa Shinde has reacted to calls for her arrest after stating that the sexual harassment allegations she made against the producer of Bhabiji Ghar Par Hain! in 2016 were false, reigniting debate over the controversy.
The actress, following the severe backlash on social media, has now taken to her own social media account to defend her decision to speak about the matter publicly, further stating that she knows what she has done is right and that negative comments don’t bother her at all.
She also said that a lot many people had judged her based on a single clip from the podcast without understanding the entire context.
The actress captioned her video, “Passing judgment on a single line without watching the entire podcast is a poor approach by paid PR. Thanks to my well-wishers for understanding me”
Speaking in Hindi that further translated into English, Shilpa said, “I usually read comments because I know what my fans write to me. If you watch Bharti and Harsh’s podcast, you’ll see the comments there too. After this PR campaign and the comments that are coming in, I want to tell those people that you reap what you sow.”
She said, “Without understanding the situation, people are writing all kinds of things. I knew this was going to happen because the world never appreciates anything good. People like you who are commenting today think I didn’t need to say this. I could have said it ten years ago when I was doing the show. But I chose to say it now.”
The actress further said, “I am not standing in front of you to justify myself. I am standing in front of my own conscience because that lie was a lie. Nobody asked me to say it. I could never live with that lie. I had to say it someday. You don’t know what happened to me at that time. May God never let any of you or your family go through such a situation. I know what that phase was like.”
She added, “I didn’t do it for money. I had already left the show. I had already accepted the blame that was put on me. After ‘Bigg Boss’, I met a man who told me that his father had died by suicide because he was accused of something he had never done. He told me that watching my journey inspired him to keep living.”
Shilpa added, “That was a very big thing for me because I know the battle I fought during that time. The person on whom I put the blame knows what happened. I am sorry. The word ‘sorry’ is very small, but he also knows the situation I was in. At that time, I felt I had no other option. I was in a state where I was contemplating suicide.”
She further said, “People laughed at me and abused me. But when you know you haven’t done anything wrong, you don’t fear anything. Nobody supported me then, so I don’t expect anyone’s support now. I am ready to face all of this. Don’t care what people think. Producers who abuse artists continue to work for 10-15 years, but artists like us are expected to stay silent.”
She added, “We fight for the truth. That’s what I did today. I spoke the truth. “Let people keep barking, but I have one request. If you spend your time helping someone who genuinely needs it, it will do you more good. I am not going to do anything wrong. Focus on your own life and your own well-being. I don’t expect support from anyone anymore.”
Shilpa’s latest video came after many social media users and organisations demanded action against her following her confession, with some even calling for her arrest.
One post on X (formerly Twitter) by the National Council for Men demanded that authorities take action against the actress for allegedly filing a false sexual harassment complaint.
One user wrote, “The audacity to say all this in public because they know police won’t take action against them.” Another commented, “The method was wrong, but one should do as one does to others.”
A third user posted, “The system is rotten and works to appease such empowered women having ‘law background’… men have to suck up to such demonic harassment…”
Another comment read, “This selfish woman destroyed a man’s life, and now she’s shedding crocodile tears. Absolutely shameless. If she isn’t arrested, it will be a huge shame on Mumbai Police.”
Yet another user wrote, “This is why men are losing trust in women and feminism. Women taking undue advantage of the laws which are made for…”
For the uninitiated, during her recent appearance on Bharti Singh and Harssh Limbachiyaa’s podcast, Shilpa stunned many by admitting that the sexual harassment allegation against her Bhabiji Ghar Par Hai, was false.
Speaking about the matter, she said, “Woh jhoot tha” (It was a lie), while explaining the circumstances under which she had made the accusation.
Talking about the controversy, it dates back to 2016, when Shilpa Shinde exited the popular sitcom ‘Bhabiji Ghar Par Hain!’, where she played the beloved character Angoori Bhabhi.
At the time, Shilpa had levelled serious allegations against the producer of the show, Sanjay Kohli, accusing him of sexual harassment.
She had also claimed that the producer had behaved inappropriately with her and had made objectionable advances.
The allegations, back then, had led to a major controversy in the television industry. The producer had denied all accusations and maintained that the allegations were baseless.
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–IANS
