Alok Nath in Hum Saath-Saath Hain. (Image courtesy: YouTube)
Highlights
- She did not report Alok Nath because he was close to the Barjatyas
- The survivor says she was 'shell-shocked' after the incident
- He has been accused of sexual misconduct by Vinta Nanda, Sandhya Mridul
After Tara writer Vinta Nanda and Sandhya Mridul, another woman has revealed her story of alleged predatory behaviour from Alok Nath to mid-day. Speaking anonymously, the woman alleges that Mr Nath stripped in front of her on the set of 1998 film Hum Saath-Saath Hain, on which she was a crew member and in which he played the 'sanskaari bapuji' character on which he built his reputation as an actor. "We were shooting for a night scene and I had taken a change of costumes to him. Once I handed him the clothes, he started stripping in front of me. I was taken aback, and tried to make my way out of the room as soon as possible. When I tried to run out, he grabbed my hand and manhandled me. I remember yanking my hand out of his grip and rushing out of the room," the woman recounted to mid-day. She also said that she was "shell-shocked" after the incident and decided against reporting Alok Nath to director-producer Sooraj Barjatya because, "He was extremely close to the Barjatyas, and Sooraj sir would have taken it badly."
The woman also said she no longer works in the film industry and doesn't want to put her family through trauma by identifying herself.
As allegations of sexual misconduct pile up against Alok Nath, the actor's lawyer spoke to ANI about the first #MeToo account, which was shared by Vinta Nanda. Denying that Mr Nath raped Ms Nanda 19 years ago, the lawyer said: "I believe that this all has been done only to defame him and nothing beyond that." He added that they plan to sue Ms Nanda and spoke of a 'good legal battle'. Alok Nath told ABP News yesterday that he can 'neither deny nor agree with' Ms Nanda's allegation.
On Monday night, Vinta Nanda shared her harrowing account of being raped and violated by a man, whom she identified as the 'sanskaari' actor who played the male lead on her show Tara. He was quickly identified as Alok Nath, the man who also allegedly harassed Tara actress Navneet Nishan for four years. Vinta Nanda addressed the media yesterday, saying: "I am fearless today because I have spoken what I had to and I've let it out. And for the first time in 20 years, I'm feeling fearless, like I used to feel at that time before this happened," reported ANI.
On Wednesday, actress Sandhya Mridul revealed her own story of allegedly being preyed upon on a set by a drunken Alok Nath - the drinking problem was referred to by Tara actor Deven Bhojani who told Zoom TV that the actor 'gets crazy' when drunk. Ms Mridul alleged that during an outdoor shoot, Mr Nath tried to enter her room forcibly, in an inebriated condition, and lunged at her screaming, "I want you... you are mine." When the team returned to Mumbai, she heard that Mr Nath spread false stories about her 'acting difficult' on the sets.
Meanwhile, the Cine And TV Artistes' Association (CINTAA) promised Vinta Nanda their 'full support' if she files a complaint and the film body is also sending a show-cause notice to Mr Nath.
In the last week, social media has exploded with harrowing #MeToo accounts, some of which have been shared anonymously while some have been recounted by celebrities. Prominent film personalities such as Vikas Bahl, Rajat Kapoor and Kailash Kher among others have been outed as alleged sexual predators.
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