Months after the #MeToo movement gained traction in the country, another big-ticket director – Rajkumar Hirani, was called out by a woman who worked with him on ‘Sanju’. The director of blockbuster films such as ‘Sanju’, ‘3 Idiots’, ‘PK’ and the ‘Munna Bhai’ series, was accused of sexually abusing a woman on more than one occasion over a six-month period between March and September 2018.
“My mind, body and heart were grossly violated that night and for the next 6 months,” the girl wrote in a letter explaining her alleged ordeal which was published by Huff Post India.
According to the report, the girl in question sent an email detailing the harassment she faced to Hirani and his colleagues, including business partner Vidhu Vinod Chopra and his wife Anupama Chopra, director Shelly Chopra and scriptwriter Abhijat Joshi. The Chopras reportedly sprung into action and offered the girl their full support and advised her to take her complaint to a legal body.
Apart from the allegations prompting Vinod Chopra Films to reportedly drop Rajkumar Hirani Films from their upcoming film ‘Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga’, it now appears that the highly anticipated film ‘Munna Bhai 3’ has been put on hold.
According to reports on MidDay, Fox Star India, that is bound by a three-film deal with VC Films has conveyed to Chopra that it will bow out of the partnership if the studio continues to collaborate with Rajkumar Hirani Films. Hence, the report claims that ‘Munna Bhai 3’, which is currently in its pre-production stage, will be put on hold till Hirani is given a clean chit.
The studios have reportedly decided to stand in solidarity with the survivor and have set up an ICC to investigate the matter.
