Rachit Gupta (BOMBAY TIMES; October 15, 2018)

Filmmaker Luv Ranjan, who’s made the successful Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety (SKTKS) and Pyaar Ka Punchnama (PKP) movies, was accused of sexual harassment by an anonymous actress. Since then, the director has denied all allegations and had issued a statement where he also apologised. Actress Nushrat Bharucha, who has worked with Ranjan in SKTKS, PKP and many other movies, too issued a statement recently, supporting the director and vouching for his integrity.

In her open letter, Nushrat stated that the #MeToo movement was a significant one, but she also criticised false accusations. She narrated her first meeting with Ranjan and his team, where she was informed of her role in PKP and that she would be required to wear a bikini and have kissing scenes, too. She recalled that both Ranjan and his team were thoroughly professional. Her statement further read, “The one main reason I have worked with Luv Ranjan and his team over and over again, is that I feel safe, I feel protected, respected and cared for. They have, in fact, always given me the courage to take action against any such wrongdoings. Every girl in his unit, right from an actor to an AD to a costume stylist to a set designer to a line producer to our hair and make-up staff, has been given that same backing, that same power to come forward and report anything inappropriate and no matter who the man in question was, be assured that he would be reprimanded/fired from his unit. And as a matter of fact, in every such case, has been. Now, it was up to us to use this power responsibly and I am sure every girl in his unit would have her own story to tell.”

Nushrat also narrated incidents when Ranjan was prompt to act on sexual harassment complaints on the sets of the films that they worked on together. She revealed, “I also remember a day during the filming of Akaash Vani when we packed up and I was walking out of my make-up room, I saw a female crew member crying silently in the corner. We heard her story and implored her to go and report it to Sir right away, knowing he would take action against whoever it was. And he did. He fired the man at once and made sure extra caution was taken to ensure no one tried anything like that again on set. Ayesha Raza Mishra ji talked about an incident on the set of SKTKS, where a female crew member had been a victim of inappropriate behaviour by a male actor. Luv Sir took a stand and fired the actor from the film, recast and reshot those scenes.”

Nushrat’s co-star from the PKP films, Sonnalli Seygall had also come out in support of Ranjan recently. In her statement, Nushrat called Ranjan a man she trusts. She also added, “These are his beliefs and these have been his actions. He has been a shield for us all and protected and guided us whenever we’ve felt uncomfortable with anything or anyone.” Nushrat’s full statement can be read on her social media handles, too.