Actress Richa Chadha sent a legal notice to the actress who has accused filmmaker Anurag Kashyap of sexual harassment, Ms Chadha announced on social media on Monday evening; Ms Chadha said earlier in a lawyer's statement that she "condemns the act of her name being unnecessarily and falsely dragged in a derogatory manner into controversies and allegations being recently raised by third parties." Richa Chadha is one of three actresses invoked by Mr Kashyap's accuser in an interview to ABN Telugu. She claims that Anurag Kashyap described Ms Chadha and the other women as "just a call away" to which the actress claims to have said in reply, "You have given chance to Richa Chadha, Mahie Gill, Huma Qureshi... they are so nominal looking girls. Generally directors don't give them chance but you have done a great job. But I am not mentally prepared for this right now."
On Monday morning, Richa Chadha released this statement made on behalf by her lawyer: 'Our Client 'Ms. Richa Chadha', condemns the act of her name being unnecessarily and falsely dragged in a derogatory manner into controversies and allegations being recently raised by third parties. Though our Client believes that genuinely wronged women should get justice at all costs, there are legislations that are intended to ensure that women have an equal standing in their workplace and to ensure that they have a cordial workplace in which their dignity and self-respect is protected. No woman should misuse their liberties to harass other women with unsubstantiated or non-existent, false and baseless allegations. Our Client has initiated appropriate legal action and shall further pursue her legal rights and remedies in law as may be advised in her best interest."
In an update posted on Monday evening, Ms Chadha said that a soft copy of the legal notice had been sent to the actress; a hard copy delivered to her home was rejected. Read the post here.
Anurag Kashyap cast Richa Chadha in her breakout role as Nagma Khatoon in his two-part crime drama Gangs Of Wasseypur in 2012. Huma Qureshi made her debut in the same project; Mahie Gill starred in Mr Kashyap's acclaimed 2009 film Dev D.
Read Richa Chadha's full statement here:
Anurag Kashyap has strenuously denied the allegations of sexual harassment and also released a lawyer's statement: "'My client, Anurag Kashyap, has been deeply pained by the false allegations of sexual misconduct that have recently surfaced against him. These allegations are completely false, malicious and dishonest. It is sad that a social movement as important as the #metoo movement has been co-opted by vested interests and reduced to a mere tool for character assassination. Fictitious allegations of this nature seriously undermine the movement and seek to unconscionably trade upon the pain and trauma of actual victims of sexual harassment and abuse. My client has been advised about his rights and remedies in law and intends to pursue them to the fullest extent."
Actress Kangana Ranaut, who tweeted in support of the actress who accused Mr Kashyap, offensively commented on Anurag Kashyap's failed marriages. In response, Mr Kashyap's former partners Aarti Bajaj (divorced 2009) and Kalki Koechlin (divorced 2015), jumped to his defence. "Don't let this social media circus get to you," wrote Kalki while Aarti Bajaj shared: "Keep empowering women as you do."
