With a vengeance! You must have been hearing about Bollywood’s newest controversy these past few days. We have too and we have it been waiting for it all to unfold. As we have learnt in the past, the best way to report is to do so when all the details have come out. Tanushree Dutta went around these past few days detailing an incident that happened with her on the sets of ‘Horn Ok Pleassss’. She named Nana Patekar, as her harasser. Tanu originally brought out this issue years ago when it happened, which was 10 years ago in 2008. All she got in return was harassment and abuses.
While detailing what happened to her, Tanu also held these people responsible for allowing the harassment and her harasser to proceed with whatever dirty thing he had in his mind about her:
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Producer, Sami Siddiqui
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Director, Rakesh Sarang
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Choreographer Ganesh Acharya
This is the item song that Tanu was talking about:
An original news and interview of Tanushree regarding this issue back then in 2008:
Tanushree went on Zoom to detail thoroughly what happened to her and how it all started. This wasn’t a one-time incident, Nana started misbehaving with her two days before the day where all hell broke loose. She said that Nana put himself in that item number that only she was supposed to feature in. He also told the director that he wants to do an intimate step with her in that song. We are guessing he most likely wanted to rub against her or something, because that is usually what you see in songs. Grossly inappropriate, but it’s always the actors doing the rubbing.
Nana Patekar responds to Tanushree’s allegations
Do you know what an MCP looks like? This is what it looks like:
Actor Nana Patekar denies sexual harassment allegations by Actress Tanushree Dutta. pic.twitter.com/vqyTpSkBm4
— Mirror Now (@MirrorNow) September 27, 2018
What can I do about it? You tell me. What does she mean by sexual harassment? There were 50-100 people on set with me [at that time]…I’ll take legal action against her. But it is waste telling media about it because you will play up anything. Whatever people want to say, they can say. But I will continue doing my work.
The film’s director, Rakesh Sarang, responds to Tanushree’s allegations
Tanushree is saying that Nathni Utaro [the title of the song] was a solo dance that she rehearsed for. In that case, she must have heard the song during the rehearsals itself. Why doesn’t she remember that the song had a male voice too? It was always supposed to be a duet song. He was shooting for a song after many years, so he was excited about it. She misjudged everything, including his encouragement. See, if your boss wants to flirt with you, he won’t do it in a public area; he will invite you to his cabin. There were around 400 people on the set that day. Will anybody take advantage in front of 400 people?
Ayoyo, how many people were there? One buddha said it was 50-100 while another is now saying 400. How can we trust their words if they can’t remember how many people there were on the sets? Most importantly, if Nana wanted to touch Tanu inappropriately, he could have very well done so without making it obvious. Women get molested all the time while performing pilgrimage and you know how many people are there during a pilgrimage procession? More than a thousand!
Journalists should ask both of these old men how did these goons land up on the sets? Why were the studio’s gate closed and locked? How did the police come to the studio? According to Tanu, her family called the police and they came and fired some bullets upwards to make the goons stop harassing Tanu and her family.
Tanushree Dutta’s full interview
Here’s a low-down on Tanushree’s statements:
The #MeToo happened in Hollywood a year or two back, but in India it happened several years ago. I was probably one of the first people in the history of this country in the media field to speak up and stand up. Everybody saw what happened but the memory and the popular perception of it is that Tanushree Dutta spoke up against harassment and then she was no more.
When Nana Patekar misbehaved with me, he said out loud that he would do an intimate step with me as well in the song, which wasn’t mentioned in my contract. It was supposed to be a solo sequence of mine.
So, Tanu already signed a contract that stated no intimate scenes or steps will be done. She does not make it clear whether it’s the film’s contract to her or her contract to the filmmaker.
I would feel very uncomfortable when he would come next to me and try to put his arm around me. He’d grab me and push me around and say, ‘You stand here, you stand there’. Whereas, he shouldn’t have been on the set. And he told the choreographer to stand aside and said, ‘I’ll teach her how to dance’. I didn’t know how to deal with this. This had never happened with me before in Bollywood.
Nana Patekar teaching a young girl how to dance?!!!! He must have woken up that day feeling like Hrithik Roshan!
When I had complained about the same to the producer and director, and told them to ask him (Nana Patekar) to stay away from me, they didn’t pay heed.
He called the MNS (Maharashtra Navnirman Sena) party to bash up my car. He was behind everything and was supported by Ganesh Acharya, the producer and director.
I got some 30-40 film offers after the controversy, but I was suffering from such major fear that I would not even want to go on a film set. Because when you go through such experience you think everybody is like that. You refuse to believe that I have worked with good people also.
Tanu took a long sabbatical after this. She made an appearance a few years ago with short hair. If she was as traumatised as she said, it must have really taken a toll on her. Usually in these cases, you only return when you feel safe mentally and physically.
Tanu on why she is talking about this issue again:
Till the time I’m given justice no movement can start over here. I will keep bringing up this issue every time I’m here because I want to expose the hypocrisy of Bollywood that on one hand you are speaking about women empowerment, but everybody had a stoic silence on what happened with me and they have maintained it even today. In fact, they are not only maintaining the stoic silence but they are also working with the perpetrators
In a video interview, Tanu mentioned how she had no intention to speak on this again. She was asked a question and she gave her answer. The media picked up on that and it spread. She said she has settled down in American and even got a green card. She does not care whether these Bollywood people will not work with her. She mentioned how she does not feel that she is missing out because she is at peace with herself on the inside. She prayed hard for justice. She reiriterates how she is saying all this so that the industry show some compassion and human values and do something so that the future generation won’t have to suffer. She said all this in a video interview to Quint.
Change cannot happen when we put the onus of change on others. Change can only happen when we are actively involved bringing about the change and that is what I have been doing and not because I wanted to be smarter and somebody who starts movements. It is just that I went through an ordeal and when I was approached for my take on it, I spoke the truth — 10 years back and even today.
To Quint, Tanu said:
Nana Patekar is a pawn in this entire scenario. Of course I want the industry to ban these people, just to set an example… But my fight is not just against Nana Patekar or Ganesh Acharya. They work bindaas like nothing has happened. I want them to suffer the consequences of course, but it’s not just about Nana Patekar and me. It’s about creating that awareness in our society that whenever a girl speaks up, people try to shut her up, make allegations against her character…. Why is it so difficult to hear it and respond to it?
I faced a lot of criticism, slut shaming and dense attitude… For 10 years I have been shamed and the narrative has been spun like ‘Oh there is a respectable actor and there is this slutty heroine who put these allegations on him and because she did this horrendous thing she was kicked out of the industry’. People have been arrogantly carrying forward this narrative.
So far only two people have spoken out about this, two witnesses. A senior and very much relevant journalist, Janice Sequeira, and the song’s choreographer, Ganesh Acharya.
Witnesses React to Tanushree Dutta’s Allegations
Janice tweeted in support of Tanushree and here’s what she had to say:
Janice’s Interview on what happened, courtesy of BuzzFeedNews:
I saw Ganesh Acharya say something to Tanushree, and then the crew attempted a few futile shots of shooting this dance sequence,” she said. “All this while, Nana Patekar had been standing on the side, then he entered the frame and started to do some very weird and vulgar dance moves with her. Barely 30 to 40 seconds later, Tanushree just walked off the film set.
There was screaming and shouting, people followed her to her vanity van where she had locked herself. They were screaming, banging on her door, shouting at her to come out, it was a mob. I asked one of them ‘Who’s called you here?’ They said, ‘the producer has, he wants his money back.
This was a professional — a woman hired for a job. Even if she couldn’t do the job, you can’t call a mob on set to threaten her right? You have to try and talk to her, accommodate her, and listen to what she feels is happening on the set.
They were banging on all sides of the car, they broke the windshield, the side mirror. I remember her parents looking worried and scared, imagine the paranoia, they obviously thought the crowd would attack their daughter.
I remember that she wasn’t able to change her clothes, she had been shooting an item number, so she wasn’t exactly dressed in clothes that covered her up. She’d spent the entire day at this shoot with men who humiliated her, and then, she had to go back home in that same state.
Janice’s Tweets:
Some incidents that take place even a decade ago remain fresh in your memory. What happened with #TanushreeDutta on the sets of “Horn Ok Please” is one such incident – I was there.
Janice is not the only one speaking out, other female journalists who have spoken to Tanu at that time and recently, have corroborated what she said and believe her. I could see Tanushree on set, visibly upset about something. #NanaPatekar, choreographer Ganesh Acharya and a man (who I later found was the producer) were having a conversation, while 50-odd dancers sat waiting.
The official version was that the “heroine was not cooperating”. A while later, shooting resumed. Tanushree resumed work, and a couple shots later, #NanaPatekar joined her. Not long after that, Tanushree walked off set. Shooting halted again. She locked herself in her vanity van, refusing to come out. Out of nowhere, goons turned up and began banging against the vanity van door.
I was told the producers had called them to set. Cops arrived. Amidst this chaos, I got hold of #NanaPatekar. All he said was, “Meri beti jaisi hai” (she is like my daughter), which didn’t really make any sense at that point. Eventually, Tanushree’s parents arrived to pick her up. Her car was attacked, the windshield broken. I tried to get in touch with Tanushree to get her version of events. Around midnight, she asked me to come to her place. In tears, she narrated what really happened.
Later, she said, a lewd dance step was introduced on the insistence of #NanaPatekar, so he could touch her inappropriately. That’s where alarm bells rang, and Tanushree decided to walk off set. What she didn’t expect was the aggression shown by the producers after.
The chat I had with Dutta hours after the incident was identical to the account she’s come out with now. How could a person’s version remain the same a decade later if there wasn’t any truth to it?
[Our chat was off-the-record, even though she went on to give interviews later.]
UPDATE 7
Shyni Shetty
Shyni’s interview to BuzzFeedNews:
As a woman, you can tell when another woman looks uncomfortable, I could tell Dutta was not okay,” Shetty told BuzzFeed News.
“I was only 22 at the time and it was the first film I was working on. It had barely been two years since I came to Bombay,” she added. “There was nothing I could do then, I was still becoming a person. But now, it’s important for us to stick together.”
Shyni Shetty, an AD on the sets of the film, responds to Tanushree’s allegations
Here is what Ganesh Acharya said:
First of all, it’s a very old incident so I can’t really recall everything very clearly. But it was a duet song as far as I remember. Something did happen that day because the shooting was also stalled for over three hours. There was some sort of misunderstanding. But I can confirm that nothing this sort of happened. It’s a wrong statement that Nana ji called members of some political party on set. It never happened.
Listen, Ganesh bapu. You just said earlier that it was a long time ago and you have ghajini so how come you are SO SURE that whatever Tanu said happened never happened?
Some more wise word from Daisy Shah’s ghajini sugar papa:
When I was called for rehearsal I was told that Nana ji was also there in the song. I don’t have the agreement with me because that time we used to do it verbally. But that particular song didn’t involve any kind of indecent step in the first place. It was pure dancing. That’s all.
He is basically saying that originally there was no indecent step. So what Tanu is saying is true because according to her, Nana said loudly that he wants an intimate step added to the song.
Let’s hear it one more time from Ganeshji about Nana:
He’s a very sweet person, he can never do that. He is very helpful and he has actually helped a lot of artistes in the industry, he can never do anything like that.
Do these people not understand that just because someone helps others doesn’t mean he is a saint. They are probably mistaking this behaviour with Jesus! Saying someone “can never do that” is irresponsible, especially if you were not there but in his case he was.
The media asked Tanu about Ganesh’s response:
He is a bloody liar and a two-faced person. He got the job because of me and he decided to back-stab me, of course he will support him (Nana Patekar) as he was equally complicit in the harassment
Bollywood Celebrities React to Tanushree’s allegations
Amitabh Bachchan and Aamir Khan
Amitabh Bachchan and Aamir Khan were asked about Tanushree’s allegations.
Farhan Akhtar
Farhan Akhtar responds to Tanushree’s allegations 
Richa Chaddha
Richa Chaddha responds to Tanushree’s allegations
Swara Bhaskar
Swara Bhaskar responds to Tanushree’s allegations
Priyanka Chopra agrees with Farhan Akhtar
Twinkle Khanna
Twinkle Khanna aka Mrs. Funnybones responds to Tanushree’s allegations
Sonam Kapoor
Sonam Kapoor responds to Tanushree’s allegations
Anurag Kashyap responds to Tanushree’s allegations
Raveena Tandon responds to Tanushree’s allegations
Back then in 2008, Nana Patekar said this in response to Tanushree’s allegations:
Tanushree is my daughter’s age and I have no clues about what made her say such things about me. I have been a part of this film industry since the last 35 years and haven’t had anyone saying such things about me ever.
But Nanaji, to be fair, how will these women speak out if you keep sending your goons over to harass them? Heck, even back the media was scared to report the truth.
Also Nanaji, what do you have to say about this recent statement by Tanu:
Everyone knows about Nana Patekar that he has always been disrespectful towards women. People in the industry know about his in the background that he has beaten actresses, he has molested them, his behaviour with women has always been crude but no publication has printed anything about it.
Many many years ago, people used to gossip in hushed whispers how Nana used to beat the crap out of Manisha Koirala and Ayesha Jhulka. We always wondered how do these pretty women end up with him? He is someone with a dark aura surrounding him and he takes it out on the innocent ones or the ones unable to defned themselves. That’s being a coward!
Tanu puts the blame on Nana’s co-stars for working with him:
Akshay Kumar has made few films with Nana Patekar in last eight years and Rajinikanth also recently worked with him (in Kaala)… If such big stars will keep working with these culprits then there’s no hope for any movement to happen.
Question is, will you work with someone who is a known harasser, abuser or molester?
Tanu goes in to attack these so-called caring image that these stars have:
Everyone has gossiped about this but they’ve never spoken. People with this kind of character speak like this against the kind of character that I have because they say she does glamourous roles so must be glamorous and all. Behind the back, they are so dirty. When you are in the industry you hear so many stories about these actors. But these things never take surface because they are PR packaged very well. They will give some money to some poor farmers. How much they do and how much they don’t know, no one knows. But all this is just for show.
The entire industry saw what happened but there was not one word of condemnation from anybody. Every single person in this country remembers my incident and this was something on national TV for three days but even today there’s a stoic silence on that. So, my question is, ‘Who is going to believe these hypocrites?’ These are the people who stand up and raise their voice against women empowerment
Tanu said one thing that is very true:
Heroines ki roles ki casting hoti hai wo Actors karte hai, casting director sirf baaki ke side roles ki casting karta hai. Jo top lead ki Actress hoti hai, wo humesha Actor hi cast karta hai (Heroines are cast by the lead actors. Casting directors only cast the side actors. But the top lead actress is cast by the actor only.
She is saying that the casting of lead heroines in films are only done by actors. The casting director cast the side roles only. In that Zoom interview, she mentioned how a friend of hers told an incident where a discussion was going on about which actress to take in a particular film. The film’s actor said, “Deeti hai kya” in response to whoever was suggested. Deeti hai kya is a way to say, “Will she have sleep with me” or asking in a way whether this girl will easily give it or will she be difficult. This kind of shows that these actors literally share these things with one another. Meaning if one girl agrees to hop in bed with one actor, he will let others know and they will expect the same from her. Do you know the traumatising effect this will have on the girl? Especially when she is left with nothing after they have no use for her. She has to watch them get successul, paid and praised in public! If she says something, people call her crazy!
This brings us back to an incident years ago when someone mentioned the same thing about Kangana Ranaut. The men involved were Ajay Devgan, who passed her on to Sanjay Dutt and Salman Khan. Now we don’t know how 100% true this is, but it is what we heard. This might explain the trauma caused by this kind of behavior to any girl involved, especially Kangu. After they realised what these guys did to them, doubt they can live peacefully after that. If you want to know who more is like this, just look at the patterns of lead heroines casting with male stars that are friends.
Hope Tanushree Dutta’s efforts go a long way. But will the actresses getting work in Bollywood talk about this situation? Will they stand up so that the upcoming girls will not be tortured the same way? Seriously though, as a human being, if you know something really bad is happening or has happened and you don’t say anything or you don’t support the victim, you are as complicit as the abuser or the harasser. Speaking of which, Tanu filed a police report and it was the police who came to save her and her family when all the chaos happened. She did file a complaint to the actors association in Mumbai also. Nothing happened and her FIR was dismissed.
Some people seemed to be really pissed off that Tanu is bringing back this issue only now.
Just see the mindset of these people! No one bothered to check her interviews to see the connection or to know what happened, that was their reasoning that she deserved whatever she got coming! Tanu had a good upbringing and she has supporting parents by her side. It explains why she feels so strong to stand against these men.
For those, who have no idea who Tanushree Dutta. She was in some of our favourite songs and she was in the ground-breaking soundtrack that changed Himesh Reshammiya’s life, ‘Aashiq Banaya Aapne’.
Who looks at these videos and think she deserved to be sexually harassed? Idiots with a special place in hell, that’s who!
Thank you for reading!
ugh the comments section is sooo irritating when ppl fight abt kangana and hrithik even here..it has been discussed enough and nothing new will come up..each side wont agree to the others views n still thrs soo much discussion on this
Admin, Im sure youve seen it already but in case you missed it, theres video out on youtube of goons stomping on Tanushrees car and letting the air out her tires. Theres also another video of Ganesh Acharya admitting she complained about Nana. Both are from 2008. Maybe now we wont here anymore “if its true, its wrong blah blah” bs responses to what happened
I hear that video is not from the Nana episode. Its from when her cameraman haf a tiff of something. I dont see her mom in the car.
Yes, well when we were already aware of this issue back then. No one really supported her then. Now things are different.
From now on Nana Patekar you will be watched. From now on MNS goons you will be watched. By millions of people, many of them women, you will be watched. Don’t think, even if you are not legally punished, you will go scot free. The stories will start to come out, as it did for Weinstein. Even the people sitting on the fence unsure of whether they believe this story, will start to form a negative opinion about you.
Don’t forget that an actor and politician lasts only as long as we, the people like you. From now on other actors and political parties will avoid being associated with you. This is not the 90s. You will not be able to pull a Salman PR stunt. It’s the post-Nirbhaya age. The post-#MeToo age. The times have changed. Now, a Kangana can speak up. Now irrespective of religious and political affiliation people will come together for Asifa. Laugh now, because you think nothing will change. But believe me, change comes slow, but when it does, it stays. Then, I guarantee it, we will have the last laugh. We are and will be watching.
Admin please post the blind given by DNA, is it about Anurag Kashyap and Taapsee?
Hang in there, to be shared soon… 🙂
Terrible if it indeed happen (which right now looks as it did). It takes guts to come out like this and Tanushree has done that. Also considering the weird way this industry and it’s people work, I won’t pass any judgement on anyone before everything is out from both sides.
Now a word on biggies of bollywood, Amir Khan says he can’t say cz he doesn’t know. Same guy did press conference against Narmada dam where he had to be prompted from behind on what the issue was. So it’s a place full of hypocrites.
90% of those supporting dutta right now will shut up if a big star is involved or someone close to them is accused.
And what is with these MNS goons? Always trying to intimidate non-marathis everywhere.
I wonder why even the well established stars of bollywood are scared to speak for womens rights.Is it because they are scared that if they speak up,as revenge their disrespectful acts will be revealed too …seems to be the only logical explanation
I read this somewhere, once when Raveena was shooting with Nana pate for ghulam e mustafa, raveena had a very serious bout of meningitis, where later on she had to be literally hospitalized, so when it all started she had a serious headache and she was walking on the set by pressing both her hands on her head or rather catching it, and Nana pate commented that ‘ kya pregnant aurat ki tarah ghoom rahi hai’, what i mean to say here is, that’s his way of asking her what happened. Look at his class, and when he says he is innocent , we should believe him, ( the filthy comment just goes to prove how creepy he is.
Good on Swara and Twinkle to speak in support of Tanushree. Twinkle must have learnt something after the Mallika Dua controversy. I will not question their intention (because at the end of the day they did stand up for Tanushree) but I still stand by what I said earlier that they show selective outrage and choose to ignore other similar matters.
When Akshay and Mallika incident happened Twinkle literally mocked Mallika. She literally tweeted jokes about it. She is completely two-faced. She could have atleast kept quite rather than mock. Now that this incident doesn’t involve her husband she is full of compassion for Tanu? I feel so disgusted.
@rad In my previous comment I did call out Twinkle for her hypocrisy and the way she handled the Mallika Dua controversy. This is a follow-up comment to my first comment. Akki is working with Nana in Houseful 4 and Tanushree explicitly called out Akshay and others working with Nana Patekhar to stop working with him. And Tanushree herself called out the two-facedness of PC and Twinkle who simply tweeted just because they wanted to badwagon to promote their self-serving agendas.
Chalo some fake feminist here are supporting Kangu. You guys should see the interview of hrithik with arnab more clear picture to understand the whole story.. Just merely saying coward or calling name won’t help any one, is this not what kangu also did in public.. Hope everyone gets a peace in mind.. Peace Peace..
hahahaha there is this interview here on the website, in writing. Admin accurately identified all the lies Hrithik in his every word. Search and read!
@Rashmi, please share the link and I hope you read it too.. ha ha ha…
Lets not confuse and dilute the issue, leave Kangana story aside as she is a bully and a liar. She does not dare to say the truth about Salman or Sanjay but keeps maligning Hrithik as he is an easy target. Hrithik’s behavior is similar to someone who is harassed/bullied. Why did Tanu go the spiritual way? She was harassed and did not want to be with bollywood people. Same with Hrithik. Now look at how Kangana behaves: attends parties and keeps on harassing others whether man or woman.
Kangana went through the harassment with others as she was super ambitious and then lied to get Hrithik. According to her supporters here, she is an epitome of indian woman empowerment. I think she says what suits her agenda and has made it difficult for people to believe even real stories like that of Tanu.
There was no affair and if she can do a 7-year affair with no proof and you believe her, I need not say more.
Spot on.
if you have sex with a woman, take photos of it, shoot it on, test it, Lewinsky. and apparently, all the years after the divorce, “poor” Hrithik lives alone, without a woman. he really asexual or uses the services of prostitutes?
You are as obsessed with Hrithik as your idol, his personal life should not be your business…
Kiran101 Hrithik got way more support from the industry – was it because he called and asked for it and she didnt? I cannot say!
The issue some media had with Hrithik was his tell all home visit – where he showed them emails, text and photographs she shared with him. Even though he claimed the emails were sent to his spam inbox and were dated some 2 years old. I want his inbox gigantic digital space.
Lets not forget his very threatening legal notice to her PARENTS while she was off-the-grid in Arunachal Pardesh, it was to instill fear and panic nothing more – he claimed to have all the evidence but she hasnt made that public apology he asked far.
He called up many powerful insiders including Mahesh Bhatt & Akhtar’s to talk “sense” into her. That is pure harassment. Getting so many ppl involved in her personal life.
Oh and lets not forget that interview by Adyahan where he accused her of doing weird pooja’s and feeding him her menstrual blood, all because his astrologer told him so. Sick!
Kangana has created a persona that she is strong and cant be walked over and so, she is still standing.
Hrithik is a coward or plain lazy – thats why he avoids events
@Nars : I am not denying anything that Hrithik did. At basic level its 2 adults affair gone wrong and how both of them started mudslinging . Hrithik might have done a spineless thing to break up in a dishonourable way , kangana reacted how she did and all the storm that followed later. Hritik’s actions and Kangana’s reactions are both adults choice.
Silence is not Dignity , I hope for the best for Manikarnka . May it be a HUGE HIT.
It is pretty easy to see that Tanushree story about what happened is true. She clearly wasnt pleased with his advances to her and tried to stop it only to be bullied and scared to continue with her career in acting. Nana must have wanted her to be his outside woman and she just did not want to be and instead of leaving the poor girl alone he bullied her and intimidated her. Does this scenario happen to other girls? Yes it does. But not to all the girls though. There are actresses who actually throw themselves at the actors, directors, producers; those willing and prepared to cross all boundaries, accepting being the outside woman for a few movies. Girls who play the victim card when they dont get what they want. We just need to differentiate between these actresses. Tanushree falls in the former. She have been bullied and harrassed and she is speaking up to those girls who falls in her category. I just hope that something good come out of this and not those latter girls using this avenue to cry wolf.
This. Absolutely spot on. As much as i feel Tanushree is right it wouldnt be fair to say that all men or women in the industry are doing it. We dont have inside information about these actors except the blinds which may or may not be true. Many women and even men too throw themselves on actors, producers or directors etc. Blind about Urvashi with Rakesh Roshan was a prime example. She was a miss India (runner up? maybe) and had got publicity but she still did or is doing what the blind said.
Hope that something comes out of it too.
After $exually harassing her, Nana said Tanushree was like his daughter…such a creep. Then he went and called political goons to harass his ‘daughter’? The man has no respect for father-daughter relationship….makes me want to throw up. So shameless.
as I remember, not so long ago Farhan Akhtar supported the company against the abuse of women. He was a movement activist. his friend Hrithik took his side and both of them declared that the aggressors should be punished. Were very active on twitter. Now there is an example ( Tanushree ) to prove that their words are not water, but where are these defenders?
Farhan has tweeted in her support. So has Swara and Richa Chadda.
Expected but disappointing reaction from Aamir. I wish SRK and Aamir were more vocal like they used to be.
This right here is why I support Kangana.
I would love to see Tanushree Dutta in more movies – more power to her! I would love for Nana Patekar to be banned along with Ganesh Acharya.
BUT more importantly, I would want to see Raj Thackeray lose the elections. No man, absolutely no man, who protects rapists/molesters/abusers should ever be allowed into any parliament or elected body. EVER!
People of Maharashtra, you are better than this – you are the land that gave us the Rani of Jhansi and Savitribai Phule, you gave us Maharshi Karve and Ambedkar – you cannot be represented by such a man. Its an insult to your daughters. #NoRajyaforRaj
Raj Thackeray or his party have never won a election. They have at max won a few seats in one municipal corporation. Problem is that Bollywood is very political and selfish. They use politicians and vice versa irrespective of the party or gender.
MNS has NO real sway in Maharashtra. So pls. Don’t generalise. It’s quite pathetic that SS is still getting anything though. But that’s reduced considerably, too. Maha needs to step up. In fact, all of India. But that’s not the point, here. Women aren’t an issue for us. We get outraged for a couple of days. Then it ends. It’s an injustice going on far longer than many others.
As with Tanushree, I remember reading about the incident. I also remember Nana saying woh mere beti jaisi hai. But whatever tabloid that was did not report it as sexual harassment. Whatever the reality, the entire situation is unfortunate.
If she is right, she deserves justice. But I doubt any eye witness would step forward. MNS/SS are quite effective as goons.
I will accept your argument that MNS isn’t winning anything, so how are their goons allowed to do what they did? If they have no sway, why are they running around sacred women like Tanushree?
As for, what we can do. I have not watched any of Woody Allen/Kevin Spacey/Sean Penn movies in the last 5 years. Same for Salman and now Nana,/Ganesh/SS. I also never vote for any party that lets such things pass without punishing the culprits. Put your money where your beliefs are.
PS. I love Maharshtra and Maharashtrians, so the above was not anything against them.
Cuz goons get away with stuff. Everywhere you go, there is gunda raj to some degree. Plain ideals can’t stop bullets and punches. People have a right to save themselves from harm or injury. (I’m talking in defense of other onlookers who may not he comng forward for such fear. Not the Bolly folk.) This is systemic.
It needs an organised protest. An individual can try but would mostly not succeed cuz he/she is dead or invisible in all the commotion.
And as far as doing things on a personal level. Not voting for those parties is doing exactly that.
But people won’t stop watching movies. Lemme tell you that. I’m with you on boycotting these ppl personally. But in an ocean that is the Indian audience. We are half a drop. Bhai’s flop Race 3 still racked up over a hundred crores. (Maybe a couple of hundred.)
We’re a minority here.
(I don’t know who your 2nd comment is addressed to, but assuming it is me, lemme say that I do get a bit worked up when MNS n SS are considered brand Maharashtra. Or i feel like that’s what’s being implied. So I apologise if my tone was impolite. N yes I love MH, too. But duh!)
All these men have misogynic traits . They may have good side but nevertheless misogynists . Frankly why do all these men Ajay, Akshay etc sleep with so many women…is it sex thing or just power play ? From centuries all over the world people proudly told tales about how a Shrewd woman is tamed, how a woman’s place is shown by hurting her modesty, assaulting her sexually to show her place.
A woman in show biz is up for sex with anyone/anytime and its okay to proposition them…such is the inherent thinking of these men. If not acceptable “why is she here ” ?
Support from industry wallah’s ….u must be joking. BW is all about personal strategies and settling scores hiding under the names like feminism and justice. Swara/SOnam etc have their agenda. KJO barks so much on trolls and hateful people where he himself is an evil person and gossipy.
Everyone is on their own … Regarding Kangana getting support ? No one got more support than her … Hrithik’s image took a major beating and its clear he is more embarrassed than Kangana in public . Even Hrithik fans grudgingly admit the affair happened.
Aneways , I do not understand what is there to support . Its an affair gone wrong between 2 consenting adults. It appears Hrithik treated like she doesnt matter when the affair got out of his hands and Kangana is a scorned woman. There is lot more worse stuff that happens in BW that needs actual suport than affair gone wrong between consenting adults.
Kangana has public support so much that people in BW were scared to openly support Hrithik. That way i am glad…she has about 3-4 movies at the moment and still attends all BW parties its Hrithik thats sitting in Purdah.
Hopefully things might change but I doubt it because years ago there was a sting operation expose in which a lot of big names were named for casting couch. The victims are not there but the abusers are still working in bw
Its true KR went with Ajay but I cant say she went with Sanjay or Salman. I know for sure she went bonkers with them for some reason or the other. During/After Rascals things got pretty nasty and she never did the movie with Salman, not then and not later (Sultan). Her team maintains she is still friends with Sanjay’s wife.
But that true that at rascal shooting kangu used to please ajay n sanjay n director David dawan that y I said above camment impossible to reach top without help of powerful ppl that krk that y indirect threatening to expose kangana while supporting roshans.
what’s the meaning of connecting Tanushree’s and Kangana’s issues?? I see a lot of haters here proactively hating on Kangana and calling her names. That’s the best you all can do? stop with shaming! how do you know if Kangana is a bully and all those awful things??? and since when being all of these things is a crime??? The fact that she is not in jail says that the case against her was dismissed! period. Hritik made the whole mess and got stuck with it forever. Having said that, we need to support Tanu, because we have evidence, we need to support Kangana because she did no harm to anybody except for Hritik who called it upon himself. He could have dealt with it like a man, but suffering was written. He deserves to be not shamed and move on which he is trying. All of them are trying. So ya’ll narrow minded haters get a life
Hrithik should have dealt with it LIKE A MAN, Wow, need I say more?
@Anonymous:
Hrithik tweeted “Ther r more chances of me having had an affair with d Pope dan any of d (Im sure wonderful)women d media hs ben naming. Thanks but no thanks.”
Sorry, that does not sound like a grown up/adult man; rather like an immature teenager.
@ Preeti, how does Kangana’s behavior sound to you in this whole mess? That of a victim or mature woman??? Definitely NOT
Are u forget that hypocrite sonam onces said I don’t get much films bcz I don’t slept with actors targeting dp who have many release in year n other one which female date 3 men in year again targeting dp who dated rk,sid n rs in short span of time.all know sonam n swara are two faced hypocrite feminist.
@pooja Sonam is an entitled, loudmouth star kid who used her father’s goodwill and contacts in the industry to further her career. She is a hypocrite of the highest order. Both sister and brother are the same but the brother get bashed because he is more vocal in dissing his father’s and sister’s work in public while enjoying the perks and fruits of his hardwork. Sonam is respectful to her dad and family unlike Harsh.
She always had a bone to pick with DP and she never let go of a chance to take a dig at her.
That comment about not sleeping with every single co-star was her answer to why she has good chemistry with all her co-stars. Did she forget her fling with RK during Saawariya? Also she said that to take a dig at DP (because DP’s most popoular onscreen jodi is with Ranveer and Ranbir) but by saying that she insinuated other actors sleep with each other (not only DP) while she is the only one who does not. Such a disgusting insinuation to make about everyone in bollywood.
I’m sorry I’m deviating from the topic at hand but since you brought it up will share some insights in to her and DP’s dynamics. I know people think she is a sorted person in comparison to DP because according to them unlike DP she has got her own production house, clothing line, got married at the the right time. The truth is the production house is owned by Anil and Rhea not Sonam. I remember reading one of Rhea’s interview during Aisha that her father started the PH (in other words: invested money) with her but she is the only one involved in the day to day business of the company. So Sonam plays no part in the company and it is not her money invested in it. It is Rhea and Anil who got producer credits in all their movies. DP was the first actress to have her own clothing line (way before Sonam and Anushka) and her company is now a 100 crores company. And marriage is a personal thing, everyone will get married when they want it is not a competition.
Just because she is friends with Kat now people will say unlike DP she is friends with contemporary. Where was the friendship when Kat was at the peak or when she was dating RK. After her breakup with RK and subsequent patch-up with Salman, Sonam is acting friendly with her because she is close to bhai. Nothing more to it.
There still a lot to be said but will not comment on this further as this post should be about the brave Tanushree and not some over-privileged star kid.
I don’t think any of the A-list actresses will come out in support of Tanushree. Most importantly I’m hundred percent sure, actresses who claim to be feminists and fighting the system like Swara (who felt reduced to a vag*** after watching Padmaavat that she had to write an open letter bashing DP) and Sonam (who always shout at top of her lungs that she is a feminist) support her on this. Highly doubt these two will. They worked with MCP Salman in PRDP even after all the abuse allegations against him and still praise him to the skies. And Sonam worked in Sanju where an MCP was whitewashed and glorified. I hope some media person ask these two wheather they will support her or not.
The other fake feminists; Twinkle showed her real face during the bhajo controversy involving Akki and Mallika Dua and Shabana, two-faced woman who went to give Kangana lectures during the Hrithik fiasco and started a petition during Padmaavat controversy to serve her own political agenda will never stand up for Tanushree.
I’m not bashing other A-listers because they are not hypocrites as they have never claimed to be feminists. These people will bash some incidents while ignoring others.
Kudos to Tanushree. She got nothing to lose and she is making sure her story is heard because it never got heard the first time she made the allegations. The girl must have gone through a lot because after this she left showbiz and joined an ashram.
It also depends on the actors involved. Nana Patekar is now a ‘has been’ and it will be very easy for others to criticize him and support Tanushree.
But there is no way anyone of them will speak up against the industry bigwigs. Subhash Ghai and Salman Khan still going strong is a proof of that. Both are serial abusers and nothing has ever happened to them.
@deepcoursera I agree, bolly folks will never speak up against the bigwigs, stalwarts of the industry… But I highly doubt any A-lister will speak in defence of Tanushree either. Nana maybe a ‘has been’ but I’m sure he still got connections and clout in the industry. And he certainly got political connections. Also most of the A-listers who talk about feminism and call themselves feminists are agenda driven and self serving. Supporting Tanushree will not serve their agendas. Selective outrage is common among them. Hence hypocrites. But I hope I’m wrong.
Just saw Swara’s tweet supporting Tanushree. Good for her.
The sad part is starkid don’t face n female who have powerful bf like lallu khan,aditya chopra,aamir khan etc n rest or most of them know that they can get film by making relationship with powerful ppl so they throw themselves on big star,director n producer like jacky, Poona hegade,kriti kharbanda,urvashi rutela even 2day A list actress pc help of akki n srk,kangana by help of ajay devgan n sanjay dutt reach till they make there name in industry. So its can’t be possible for outsider to make it with out help of insider powerful ppl n A list star few who have done it like Ash,anushka.
Bcz nana patekar donate so much money to poor farmer everyyear so many fans are fooled by him with this gesture same kind of akki n lallu fan are fooled by them golden heart man n all that crap .she going to trash by this blind fool.
The concept of “informed consent” is alien to the Indian society – men specifically. I also noticed comments about why other actresses are not speaking up about their experiences or supporting Tanushree openly. I wish they did but I understand if they don’t due to fear of retaliation. Kangana Ranaut is living testimony of this. My bigger issue is with the industry men. Why don’t they come out in support of these women? Men are in all positions of power in the film industry. I sincerely wish people would ask “why aren’t the industry men speaking up on behalf of their colleagues” because men do play a role in this as perpetrators or by protecting the perpetrator through silence and support. Also we need better law enforcement to prevent crimes against women. Current legal penalties for sexual harassment/non-fatal assault are simply a slap on the wrist and don’t deliver justice.
Great point re the men. Totally agree.
The concept of “informed consent” is alien to the Indian society – men specifically. I also noticed comments about why other actresses are not speaking up about their experiences or supporting Tanushree openly. I wish they did but I understand if they don’t due to fear of retaliation and not getting work. But my bigger issue is with the industry men. Why don’t they come out in support of these women? Men are in all positions of power in the film industry. I sincerely wish people would ask “why aren’t the industry men speaking up on behalf of their colleagues” because men do play a role in this as perpetrators or by protecting the perpetrator through silence and support. Also we need better law enforcement to prevent crimes against women. Current legal penalties for sexual harassment/non-fatal assault are simply a slap on the wrist and don’t deliver justice.
Completely agree! And those who say that its the woman’s fault for giving into a casting couch situation: a) you dont know what the situation was whether there was coercion or threats involved b) it is incredibly hard for a woman to speak up after the incident not just because no one might believe her but also because of fear of the shame it will bring to her family, indian families dont help they are more bothered ki log kya kahenge rather than the sanity of the victim c) why is it that the only way a woman can break into the industry is either by having a sugar daddy or being someone’s daughter, sister, niece etc.
it really makes me sick to think how many of the non-nepo actresses that we love and admire might have had to go through this crap. and the men are the worst. hypocrites and cowards. at the end of the day in the US a major publication like the New York Times chose to believe those women and break the story. the major awards shows allowed TimesUp to take centre stage. Actors like Brad Pitt stood up for the Gwyneths when they took on Weinstein.
We should not underestimate the courage it took for those women to speak up, but also give credit to the men who supported them.
Kudos to Tanushree for sharing her story now and 10 years ago. Happy that the journalist came out and supported her story. I am very sceptical that other actresses will come out and support her by either sharing their stories or just lauding her for her bravery. The big problem in Bollywood is that there is no real solidarity amongst actresses, so no real possibility of a metoo or Timesup movement. Hope I am proved wrong on this.
How many supported kangana??? Even same try to make mockery n joke out of that.BTW Hollywood brazenly hypocrite n double standards if u see or read even in 90s n 80s when have speaken about this way before this Hollywood drama but yes they paid price for that as career.eg- Tabu’s older sister accused Jacky shroff to misbehaving with tabu,manish koirala’s mom n manisha too spoke about this then mamta kulkurni openly speak about raj our santoshi,then 2005 reporters expose casting cauch by exposing shakti kapoor n aman verma so n so that bigboss invited shaki kapoor in house with 13 females(8 month pregnant n tragender include )he was only male in house.so plz don’t say this started by Hollywood n all that crap n nonsense.time to time ppl have spoken even kangana speak about this in 2014.
@pooja I’m not sure if you your comment was meant for my post or someone else. I said there is no chance of a metoo or Timesup in Bollywood which is in essence a collective movement by women. My point was there is no unity amongst Bollywood actress so I am sceptical of a collective moment happening in Bollywood. Kangana is one example where people laughed or sided with the hero. Also there have been many actresses in Hollywood in the 80s and 90s who spoke out about sexual harassment but like the women you named above they were individuals. Women feel supported and less scared to speak out in a collective movement which is why the “Hollywood” movement in 2018 has galvanised women world wide. That’s what is different from 80s/90s and now. Your points just lends support to my statement that Bollywood women don’t generally support other Bollywood women even today.
Mixing Kangana’s case with Tanu’s will make it less believable as except for you all supporters, she has been proven to be a liar and a bully.
No one should include Kangana in this issue.
Kangana WILLINGLY had an affair with those men to further her career unlike Tanushree who was bullied for not complying. Women like Kangana make it difficult for other women who say “No” because when one Tanushree says “No”, a hundred Kangana say “Yes”
BTW, I still find it very suspicious that she hasn’t spoken about Ajay Devgn the way she opened up on Hrithik and Warina’s husband. Is it because she was lying about the affair or because Ajay D is powerful enough to destroy her? Or is she waiting for her clash with Ajay D next year so she can use it to garner supporters for her film?
Kangana is not a saint or a victim so don’t portray her like one.
Well, of course! came the holy angels who judge Kangan! were you in her shoes? Did you live her life? Do you know about her pain, about her disappointments? watch your life and judge yourself! shame on you
@Rashmi, shame on me for saying the truth about Kangana?
As much as i support women, please let’s call a spade a spade.
Kangana is NOT a victim. She CHOSE to have the affairs she had.
Tanushree on the other hand IS a victim. She REFUSED to compromise. Don’t get it twisted.
If Kangana had succeeded in getting either Ajay D or Hrithik to marry her, she would have gone about portraying her marriage like it’s some legendary love story and most likely say demeaning things about Kajol or Suzzanne, portraying them as villians in her epic love story to make it more acceptable to the audience.
As it is, both blew up on her face and she attacked Hrithik possibly because he doesn’t have as much clout in the industry as Ajay D does.
So please, DO NOT equate a real victim like Tanushree to Kangana.
I applaud Tanushree for choosing to leave Bollywood rather than compromise on her morals to get what she wants. She may not be a superstar but her moral integrity weighs higher than whatever success Kangana would ever achieve.
And please ladies, there’s no justification for WILLINGLY HAVING AN AFFAIR WITH A MARRIED MAN!!!
Observer shame on you, because you still do not calm down! obsessed dirty liar! you come here, paid for by a certain PR team and you lie, you lie! you take an example from your idol? how much is your conscience? 1 rupee or 1 lakh? I feel sorry for your parents who gave birth and brought up a dirty liar who judges people who do not even know personally! if you can do this, then I can. I assert that you are a fake indicator, a dirty liar and a paid troll. if you have the right to judge others without knowing them, then I have. and I do not lie, but you lie for money!
@Rashmi, please do not insult me. I’m very sure you can give comments without insulting someone with a different opinion. You have your opinion. I have mine. Please respect it. My conscience is very clean, thank you.
I’m not so stupid that i’ll take any Bollywood celeb as my idol. SRK had taught me that lesson ever since i found out his family man image is a facade which was a long time ago.
Besides, what lie have i told? I’m making my opinion based on what Kangana said.
Didn’t Kangana herself say she had an affair with Aditya Pancholi and Hrithik Roshan? The Stardust magazine that gave the expose on her affair with Ajay Devgn, who leaked the story? Kangana.
Kangana was not forced to have these affairs. She CHOSE to. Mistake or not, she chose to. And she enjoyed the benefits while it lasted.
If you want to say Aditya Pancholi forced her because she was young in age, what about Ajay Devgn and Hrithik Roshan? Was she a teenager then?
And this was not a one-off mistake. She had an affair with at least THREE married men she has admitted to either publicly or privately. Come on! I can understand once but THREE TIMES?!!! Seriously????
I don’t know what exactly you’re attacking me for as Kangana herself admitted to these affairs. I’m making my opinions based on what she said with her lips.
All i’m saying is the situation with Tanushree and the situation with Kangana are two DIFFERENT situations.
Tanushree refused to compromise and was/is victimized for it.
Kangana on the other hand chose her path and is dealing with the consequences.
And just in case you feel so strongly about this issue because you’re in a relationship with a married man, i admonish you to respect yourself and get out of it. Nothing EVER comes good out of dating a married man and stealing away the peace and happiness of the innocent wife. Even if he leaves his wife for you and you marry him, genuine happiness wouldn’t come.
@Observer: I love how you find absolutely nothing wrong with married actors like Aditya Pancholi, Ajay and Hrithik for having extra-marital affairs but have so much judgement for Kangana for being in relationships with these people. No one has any responsibility towards Aditya Pancholi, Ajay and Hrithik’s marriages other than themselves. As consenting adults, if they cheat on their spouses and harm their marriage/kids, its their responsibility alone. And Kangana is not their only extra-marital relationship, there’s been others too!
And Aditya Pancholi physically abused her, which is a matter of public record. But please don’t let these minor details get in the way of your misogyny 🙂
@nomeansno, on the contrary, i find all of them disgusting and i hope one day that their wives will have the backbones to see these men for who they really are and leave them. I love Farhan Aktar’s wife because she had the backbone to leave and i hear she’s happier for it.
I hate adultery. I’ve seen the effects it has on children, including me. So it disgusts me. That’s the reason i can’t bring myself to watch films like KANK and BM because of their portrayal of adultery as epic love stories. And a reason i’m not married but that’s a story for another day.
The only reason i focused on Kangana in this instance is because Rashmi is equating her experience with Tanushree and i’m pointing out that Tanushree’s experience is far different from Kangana.
Kangana spoke out because she was mistreated by this men who were her lovers and she felt cheated. In her case, her relationship with these men were by mutual consent but things went wrong and she suffered for it.
Tanushree on the other hand is a victim of sexual harassment. She said “No” and was bullied for it. The girl practically ran away from Bollywood because of this. She lost the chance to have the career she wanted because she refused to compromise.
It’s not fair to compare her experience with Kangana.
And it’s not fair that Rashmi should call me names just because my opinion is different from hers. I stopped commenting on Pinkvilla because of trolls such as her. I thought this site was a place one could give their opinions without insult but i guess i was wrong.
@Observer:
First, hugs my dear. I am sorry to hear what had to go through in life. No one should have to. It is indeed painful to observe the myriad of ways in which the saying comes true IRL – “sins of the father fall on the children”.
Second, to the point about Tanushree and Kangana comparison, I feel that there is a case to be made about how male actors in Bollywood routinely feel entitled to have sexual relationships with actresses and use their power to threaten and harass them when that relationship poses a threat to their reputation. That to me seems like a shared experience for Tanushree and Kangana (and several others too).
Nana made Tanushree’s professional and personal life very difficult when she spoke up against him.
Kangana wanted out of the relationship, Aditya Pancholi would not let her go, pursued/stalked her and physically assaulted her – a man who was more well-known than her and had more contacts than her. It was in the news. Physical assault is just plain wrong, she was clearly a victim.
To protect his reputation and to punish Kangana, Ajay Devgn did use his influence to throw her out of Ready movie’s promotions and replaced her in several movies when Stardust found out from her about their extra-marital relationship and break up.
Kangana said something very non-specific: “exes do silly things”. Instead of ignoring something that could have been blown off as speculative, Hrithik asked Kangana to publicly apologize to him and then sued her claiming he was the silly ex she was talking about, sent legal threats to her parents.
[Consider Priyanka’s jacket-gate. Imagine if SRK sued PC for defamation alleging that PC is maligning his reputation by literally airing dirty laundry (said jacket). That would be a dumb move, right? Because the jacket’s ownership was merely speculation. Why couldn’t Hrithik let go?]
In all three cases, the industry did not support Kangana but supported the men who were in the wrong but viciously went after her because she spoke up against them.
This, to me, is the common thread: These men used their power and influence to punish the women professionally and personally in order to protect their reputation. Who does that? Bullies who are in a position of power and feel entitled enough to intimidate people who have less power than them.
Third, if I may speak for Rashmi or other OSOP readers who love Kangana, at this moment in time when women are trying to find our way through internalized misogyny, Hrithik Roshan’s stans/fans/paid-trolls’ misogyny and name-calling everywhere (PV, Youtube, OSOP) hits home hard because the society does that too. Calling a woman whore, while the man who cheats/harasses repeatedly is idolized. I have spoken to a lot women who have been sexually abused/harassed – they don’t hate men. But a lot of Indian men seem to hate women. And sometimes things reach a boiling point.
I do have a lot of admiration for Kangana for surviving and thriving after what she has gone through, when most of her contemporaries had it much easier. I hope other women like Tanushree can too – find light through this darkness.
@nomeansno, thanks. I understand your viewpoint. Much love.
I don’t agree with nomeansno that Hrithik should have been silent when Kangana was making insinuations all the time. In fact, I think this is how she works: say the same lie again and again and make it a truth.
Cheating by a spouse is very common all around the world, thats why parents want to make their daughters independent too. I’m not saying cheating is justified but blaming one person and being sympathetic to another when the relationship is consensual is not right either. In spite of being wrong also, Kangana crossed all limits of decency with Hrithik. Again, I’m not saying he is a saint but he does not need to be abused regularly for saying no and most importantly his kids don’t need to be dragged in the mud.
Rashmi is taking everything about Kangana personally, as always. I truly believe she belongs to Ranaut family or is paid by them.
I totally disagree with some of the commenters here saying that just because Kangana had affairs willingly she was not a victim. Just because she was a willing participant in affairs doesn;t give the men the liberty to abuse/victimise her.
This reminds me of another incident few years back when Payal Rohtagi accused Dibakar Banerjee of misbehaving with her. At that time nobody supported or spoke up for her. The great Mr Anurag Kashyap who now acts all holier than thou asking people to believe Tanu at that tweeted that if Payal had an affair with him then what was wrong in Dibakar asking her to lift her shirt and show him her stomach. UGH!!!
Tanushree no doubt had a harrowing experience. But I smell something fishy in the way she is unnecessarily dragging Rajini, Akki etc. Nana has worked with a lot of stars. Why selectively pull up only a few. Why not SRK then?
Also both AB Sr as well as Aamir Khan refused to comment on this issue while promoting TOH. But media playing up AB’s refusal to comment where as no one seems to mind AK distancing himself. All the people who are pretending to support her (except a few) are using her for their own agenda.
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