The can of #MeToo worms opened by Tanushree Dutta has spilled over onto social media where, since last week, several prominent men have been named and shamed as predators by women journalists and others, some of whom have opted to remain anonymous. Among them is singer Kailash Kher who was accused of inappropriately behaving with a woman reporter. Mr Kher claims he doesn't recall having done so, telling news agency IANS, "I was travelling and when I heard about this news, I got extremely disappointed to know what my state of happiness has been taken for. I am neither aware of any such act that has been mentioned nor remember it."
Mr Kher also offered an apology in his statement, saying he regrets any unintentional behaviour on his part that may have made the complainant uncomfortable: "I am almost all the time in my own simple world, but in case anyone has taken or thought something differently about anything, then it is my sincere apology. My devotion to music makes me who I am and I am thankful for all the love and support," IANS quoted him as saying.
"For all those who know me and have come across me, will know how much I respect humanity, especially women, even more for the ones who work in media since their work is difficult," Kailash Kher added in his statement.
The journalist in question has also accused model-actor Zulfi Syed of sexual misconduct in her tweets, alleging that he "forcibly" kissed her in his room after an event which she was covering as the designated photographer. Meanwhile, Kailash Kher has been accused by another woman of asking for her personal contact and repeatedly inviting her to his hotel room in Kolkata. Read all her tweets here.
Two weeks ago, Tanushree Dutta renewed a decade-old charge of harassment against Nana Patekar. She has now filed a police complaint. Filmmaker Vikas Bahl and actor Rajat Kapoor have also been outed as alleged predators.
Earlier this year, social media accused singer Papon of "inappropriately kissing" a young contestant during a Facebook Live video, whom he was mentoring on the reality show Voice India Kids, following which he quit the show and apologised but blamed the controversy on "faulty camera angles and accident."
(With IANS inputs)
