Tajikistani singer and influencer Abdu Rozik, known for his stint in Bigg Boss 16, has accused his former management team of withholding his earnings and misappropriating his income. “I worked with them for three or four years. They helped me grow, but the money from the shows I did, they took it. I didn’t get paid a single dollar for Bigg Boss. They scammed me badly,” he said on the House of Zen podcast.

He added that he was often underestimated due to his stature. “I guess because of my height, people underestimate me and think they can fool me,” he added. Rozik also clarified that he does not own a house or car but continues to support his family of seven despite financial struggles.

“I have a growth hormone condition, and I am proud that despite everything, I am supporting seven people in my family,” he stated. Reflecting on the betrayal, he concluded by emphasizing the importance of caution in business dealings: “My only request is for people to be honest and work clean. We need to be very careful about who we trust.”

Actor and reality TV star Prince Narula has been accused of financial misconduct by rapper Hitzone, who alleges he was not paid for his creative contributions to two songs, including Bang Bang. To support his claims, the rapper shared voice notes on social media, alleging that Narula has repeatedly avoided fulfilling payment promises.

In a YouTube video, Hitzone questioned the ethics behind the situation: “I want to ask: are rappers earning money? Or are Roadies judges earning money? If they are earning, why are they withholding an artist’s dues?,”highlighting his frustration over the lack of compensation.

He alleged the dispute involves Bang Bang, released on Narula’s YouTube channel, and another unreleased track that has already been filmed. Hitzone also claimed that despite prior payment discussions, Narula’s team delayed the process and later said the matter would be addressed after he returned from the reality show The 50.

While he has set boundaries on screen over the years, Rajkummar did bare it all in his first film. “In LSD, I was butt naked in a scene. Of course, it wasn’t cleared by the censor board; it was blurred, but I was scared to do it,” he told India Today, adding, “I also knew that it was my first film and big break, and I couldn’t turn around and say that I’m not comfortable doing it. I didn’t know when I’d get my first film again.”

He was also glad about his parents’ reaction to it: “My mum said, ‘You’re an actor. If your role demands it, then go ahead and do it.’”

While Rajkummar was paid Rs. 11,000 for LSD, Nushrratt didn’t get any money for it. “I always wanted to work with (director) Dibakar Banerjee. When I watched Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye! (2008), I said that I would work for free with Dibakar and that’s what happened. I didn’t get paid for the film, not a single penny,” she told Zee News in an interview.

LSD marked the entry of many new faces in Bollywood, including Rajkummar Rao. “For my first audition, I wore atrangi clothes, as per the brief. I was asked, ‘What are you wearing? Do you have anything else?’ I said, ‘No’. I was like, ‘S***, I’m gone, he doesn’t like it’,” the actor recalled on the podcast with Raj Shamani.

However, he got a call back and was asked to shed weight from his face. “In one week, I lost a lot of weight. I ran a lot,” he said. While his performance was loved, it left his now wife, actor Patralekhaa “creeped out”. After seeing LSD, she refused to do a music video with him.

Director Dibakar Banerjee had revealed that producer Ektaa R Kapoor was shocked after seeing the film for the first time. And interestingly, it wasn’t because of the content on voyeurism and free-for-all invasion of privacy, but due to the treatment and format of it. The film was shot in a digital format with a hand-held camera, and thus Ektaa asked Dibakar why the camera was shaking so much? She even doubted who will watch the film. Reportedly, the director shared that his producer initially didn’t believe that such an unusual and shocking film would be viable. She also got so paranoid after watching the film that after coming out of the theatre after watching the movie, she was looking for bugs and cameras everywhere around her.

A sequel to the film, LSD 2, was released last year, but it’s journey started on Bigg Boss 16. Ektaa went to the house to cast the female lead, actor Nimrit Kaur Ahluwalia. But, she didn’t do the film. Dibakar had said during LSD 2 promotions that the casting on Bigg Boss was just a “PR stunt”.

He was shooting for Housefull 4 in 2018 when sexual harassment allegations by multiple women upturned his life. The storm of accusations — including claims of unwanted advances and harassment — upended his career, with work vanishing overnight. Sajid Khan, 54, became an accused in the #MeToo movement in Bollywood — called out, ridiculed and vilified. For six years, he chose silence. Until now. With trepidation in his voice, he recounts the toll the past years have taken on him, both mentally and physically.

I thought of ending my life many times in the last 6 years. It’s been extremely bad, in the sense that I’ve been out of work. Despite getting a clearance from Indian Film and Television Directors Association (IFTDA). I’m trying to get back on my feet. I had to sell my house and move to a rented flat because of no earnings. I was 14 when I started earning because my dad (actor, producer, and director, Kamran Khan) passed away, leaving me and (my sister) Farah (Khan Kunder, filmmaker and choreographer) with debts. Today, I wish my mum was alive (Menaka Irani died in 2024) to see me try to get back on my feet. More than her son, I was her caretaker. Life has been quite tough.

Looking back, yes. Now everybody does it on YouTube, but early on in my career, I used to say sensational things just to make headlines. When I worked on TV, my job was to entertain people. I used to rub many the wrong way...When I see some of my interviews today, I feel like taking a time machine back and stopping that guy — saying, ‘Idiot, what are you talking about? Why are you so brash?’ Words don’t matter; work does. Because I was so brash, I rubbed people the wrong way. I would apologize whenever I realized it, but when work stops, you start questioning your life. I’ve mellowed down. I just want to work to survive now.

I left Housefull 4 because I didn’t want the dates to get shuffled. The producer, Sajid Nadiadwala, had put up a big set with 10–15 busy actors. Changing dates would’ve disrupted the film for years. Mine was a trial by media, very one-sided. What does a man work for? Respect. When that’s taken away, your self-respect comes into doubt. I was known for my offensive humour — I believed offence was the best defence. But I’ve learned the hard way. I never disrespected women, and I never will. My mother raised me to believe in gender equality. I didn’t realize my words would make me pay such a huge price.

Ten days before it happened, I was shooting in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, and my mum wasn’t well. When I had to leave the film, I was worried she’d have a heart attack if she found out. I told Farah (sister) to hide the newspapers from her. For 10 days, I pretended everything was fine, leaving the house and coming back as if I’d been on set... I’ve never, and will never, say anything against any woman. But yes, the last six years have been a period of self-assessment. Everyone else named in the movement went back to work, but I didn’t. That felt harsh. It made me realize I needed to change not just my life but also the way I spoke to people. I’m much more restrained now.

Meetings went well, but post-Covid, entertainment has changed drastically. Ultimately, it’s about how you present yourself and the strength of your script. Whenever I would approach studios, I was told that even if the script is good, your name is involved in MeToo and we are hesitating to sign you. I have not understood why after so many years when everyone else has moved on, I am not being given that chance. I have a film starting mid-year now, but there’s no guarantee of success. That’s the nature of the industry.

I didn’t want to speak. My mother told me, ‘Silence is golden’. Perception is like mist — it has to be cleared.

Physical prowess aside, Khatron Ke Khiladi also tests its contestants’ resilience. Shooting for the reality show’s 14th season in Romania was Nimrit Kaur Ahluwalia’s way of reaffirming what her journey had taught her—that she is stronger than she thinks. The actor, who was diagnosed with depression in 2019, says the past five years have made her realize her inner strength.

“I was diagnosed with burnout, anxiety, and depression due to the long working hours during the shooting of Choti Sarrdaarni. I also had no personal life and experienced loneliness. After my diagnosis, I took a 40-day break, then continued working and started taking anti-depressants,” she recalls.

While Ahluwalia shot to fame with Choti Sarrdaarni, her personal life went through peaks and troughs. After being on medication for a year, the actor switched to homoeopathy. In 2022, she opened up about her battle on Bigg Boss 16.

“About a month before entering Bigg Boss 16, I stopped taking medication to wean off them. I never struggled to find work. In fact, I was at the peak of my TV career. While the world might not see me as a winner, my biggest victory was recovering mentally and physically from the changes my body experienced over the years.”

It is with this renewed sense of confidence that she is building her way ahead. She hopes that sharing her experiences will inspire others, and more importantly, raise awareness about the benefits of seeking help.

“My journey taught me that it’s okay to not be okay sometimes. It’s even more important to reach out for help. I’ve learned that taking care of my mental health is paramount. Success is important, but it means nothing if you’re not happy and healthy inside.”

Social media serves as a great tool to connect with a wider audience, but it also exposes an actor to negativity and judgments. Soundarya Sharma experienced it first-hand after a mouth freshener commercial featuring her alongside three Bollywood superstars dropped. Being a dentist, she faced criticism for being a part of it from a section of the audience.

Addressing the issue, she says, “The brand approached me for their mouth freshener commercial. I cannot think of endorsing anything that can harm a larger audience. Besides, no one can be forced to consume anything harmful. Nevertheless, in life, sometimes your choices are based on future aspirations. Yes, I am a dentist, but I’m also an actor. At times, my choices as an actor may differ from my personal opinions.”

Calling it a dream come true to share screen space with Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn, and Akshay Kumar, the actress adds, “I hadn’t envisioned something like that coming my way, so I was thrilled to be offered such an opportunity. Am I foolish not to accept an offer to share the screen with three superstars of the country and boost my career?”

Like her career choices, Soundarya, who made headlines for her brief relationship with Gautam Singh Vig during her stint in the Bigg Boss house that ended in a fallout, is clear about decisions on the personal front as well. While Gautam tried to reach out to her, she didn’t want to rekindle the affair.

She says, “I don’t want to talk about something that’s a thing of the past. It holds no relevance in my life. I acknowledged it back then, but now, I don’t feel anything and have moved on. Since then, I have not been in touch with him.”

Abdu Rozik loves visiting Mumbai. He finds a lot of things fascinating about the city, including the cutting chai, vada pav, and auto-rickshaw rides. “I’d love to have my own house in Mumbai someday,” says the Bigg Boss 16 contestant, who is from Tajikistan.

He was recently in the city to shoot for Prateek Sharma’s fiction show Pyaar Ka Pehla Naam Radha Mohan. Talking about his acting debut on Hindi TV, Abdu says, “I had an interesting cameo; I played a character called Abdu, a cute and harmless kidnapper. It was refreshing and a challenging experience.”

The singer acknowledges the language barrier but says he is confident that he will ace his dialogues with practice. “I know language is a barrier. However, when one delivers a dialogue with the right tonality and expressions, it reaches the audience. Hindi is a very beautiful language. Although I know only a few words of Hindi, I managed my dialogues for this show with rehearsals,” says Abdu.

In a previous chat with us, while talking about his love for India, Abdu shared, “India is like my second home and I love the country. I have set up my first business here and hope it does well. I would love to buy a house in India.”

After he participated in Bigg Boss 16, Abdu was later seen in a special appearance on Bigg Boss OTT Season 2 and the ongoing 13th edition of the stunt reality show, Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi. he went to Cape Town to support his friend and former Bigg Boss contestant Shiv Thakare.

It was recently reported that an FIR has been registered against Tajikistan singer Abdu Rozik for playing with a loaded gun at the launch of his restaurant in Mumbai on May 11. A day later, Abdu took to social media and clarified that some people were trying to sabotage his name by spreading lies. In an exclusive chat with Bombay Times, he spoke about the incident.

Abdu, who was seen in Bigg Boss 16, said, “Some people are trying to defame me and sabotage my business. I love India and everyone here, but I don’t understand why some people are targeting me. The reports made me very sad.”

Talking about the incident, he shared, “At the launch, I asked a bodyguard whether the gun he carried was real or fake. He handed me the gun and said, ‘See for yourself’. I held it for hardly a few seconds and returned it immediately. However, some people clicked pictures of me holding the gun and started circulating them.”

As a viewer, Eisha Singh has enjoyed fantasy shows for long. But as she attempts her first supernatural love story, Bekaboo, which is an adaptation of Beauty And The Beast, the actor admits she is a ball of nerves. From understanding the world of special effects and shooting on chroma, to cracking the chemistry with Shalin Bhanot, Singh will take it one step at a time. In a candid chat with mid-day, she speaks about why fantasy shows work well internationally, and how Indian content is catching up. Edited excerpts from the interview. 

The makers told me that it was a fantasy show. It was not named Bekaboo initially. It revolves around a fairy who is unaware of her powers and lives in the world of humans. She then falls in love with a rakshas [demon].

I have never explored the fantasy genre. It makes me nervous, which is the case when I am starting anything new that is out of my comfort zone. I have only shot the teaser so far.

Initially, the production house didn’t tell me that it is a remake of Beauty And The Beast. I guess the concept of a rakshas falling in love with a pari is a [fairytale we have often heard of]. The story, however, is completely different.

I have never shot on chroma. Here, we will be shooting 70 per cent of the show on it. It is a different experience, which is what makes me nervous. The teaser came out so differently from what we had filmed.

We always compare Indian content to international shows. We need to understand the kind of audience we are serving. They are happy with the content. I believe we are getting better, but it is a slow process. Our VFX is slowly improving. [The West] may have better technology than us, but that doesn’t mean our viewers don’t enjoy this.

Honestly, I was not prepared to even do a fantasy show. I am going in with a [blank slate]. I know what I will be doing is far removed from the daily soaps I have done; it will be like doing a Marvel film [for me]. [Laughs]

I have watched Beauty And The Beast, and this show is nothing like it. I was heavily into Korean, Chinese, Iranian, and Persian fantasy films.

I remember watching Son Pari back in the day. It had emotions and fantasy, and was not [caricaturish].

I never form preconceived perceptions about anyone. I don’t [judge someone] by listening to other people’s [opinions]. I followed Bigg Boss on and off because my mom would watch it at home. [At the teaser shoot], Shalin was sweet; we made some small talk. We need to be on the same page, and he seems nice and helpful.

Out of the Bigg Boss 16 house and enjoying her return to ‘normal’ life, Tina Datta, who was linked with actor and housemate Shalin Bhanot, says she is done with finding love for a while now. “Mujhe maaf karo yaar, abhi mujhe koi nahi chahiye life mein (laughs). I just want to work now. I want to get married and have kids, but I have gone through so much trauma on Bigg Boss that I want to wait to find love. There has to be someone out there who will shower me with all the respect and love that I deserve,” she tells us.

So, does she regret being linked to Shalin on the show? “I absolutely repent being linked to Shalin in Bigg Boss. Had I not met him or been friends with him on the show, my journey would have been so different and nice. Shalin raised a finger at my character; he was so aggressive that he tried to hit me once, but when I tried to bring out his real image to the public, it backfired on me. He is probably a better actor than human being. I always thought that no one could put up an act on a reality show like Bigg Boss for so long, but Shalin has proved me wrong. He has acted for so many months. Hats off to him!”

Telling us about her stay inside the house, she adds, “It was a rocky ride. I never thought that I could be a part of a show like Bigg Boss, and so I was scared and skeptical when I said yes.”

Tina adds, “The kind of situations I faced inside the house, I wasn’t even sure if I would be able to keep up or survive for so long. But eventually, I used to tell myself that I am a survivor. I survived the loss of my baby (her pet) when I was inside the house, I survived two broken ankles, all the weekend ke vaars, and a broken tooth. It is unbelievable!”

Towards the end, Tina was fired by Farah Khan, who hosted the show on a weekend, for her behaviour towards Shalin. “When I came out, I realized I was trending online, and it was amazing. But facing backlash inside the house didn’t allow me to play the game properly. When I became friends with Priyanka Choudhary, we were told by Farah ma’am that we are mean and the most hated girls on the show. I was in a state of trauma inside the Bigg Boss house,” she shares.

Earlier this week, mid-day reported that Simi Garewal would feature in a special episode of Bigg Boss 16, where she would conduct a rendezvous of sorts with the contestants (Rendezvous with a side of reality show, Jan 11). At the time, she was also in talks to do an interview, along the lines of her famous chat show Rendezvous with Simi Garewal, with Bigg Boss host Salman Khan. Now, it can be confirmed that the two shot for the special episode on January 12.

Through her much-loved talk show, Garewal offered an intimate portrait of the country’s game-changers. Proud to add Khan to the list, she says, “This is my first televised interaction with Salman. When I asked him if he would ever like to enter the Bigg Boss house as a contestant, he surprised me by saying yes. When I asked the three friends he would take with him, he named Sanjay Dutt and Jackie Shroff. For the third option, he named a host of his friends — Aamir Khan, Shah Rukh Khan, Kareena Kapoor Khan and Katrina Kaif.”

Garewal also slipped in a few personal questions, including whom he turns to when faced with difficulties. “Salman said, ‘I keep thinking till I can sort it out by myself. I don’t ask anybody for advice.’”

She adds that Khan has promised to appear on the next season of Rendezvous.

At their core, Rendezvous With Simi Garewal, and Bigg Boss are polar opposites of one another. While the reality show thrives on voyeurism, Garewal’s chat show, which ran between 1997 and 2007, offered a rare and intimate portrait of its subjects. What happens when the two worlds collide? Guess we’ll find out as the veteran actor-host is set to conduct a rendezvous of sorts with the contestants of Bigg Boss 16, in a special episode that will be aired on Thursday. That’s not all — she is also in talks to shoot an episode with Bigg Boss host Salman Khan.

“I will wear my trademark white, and the Bigg Boss team is setting up an all-white space inside the house,” reveals Garewal, who will film the episode today with housemates Tina Datta, Shalin Bhanot, Sajid Khan, and others.

The reality show had not caught Garewal’s interest in the past. However, this season was different. “I had stopped watching after the first season as I didn’t like it at all. This season, I watched a few episodes as Farah’s [Khan] brother Sajid was on it. Surprisingly, I loved the show and didn’t miss a single episode after that.”

She adds that Farah Khan spoke to the channel about the possibility of a special episode. “The [channel officials] asked Farah if I would do a Rendezvous… with the contestants. It sounded like fun, and I gave my nod.”

While she remains tight-lipped about the Bigg Boss interview with Khan, Garewal is keen to host the superstar on her chat show, after it is relaunched. “Salman has not appeared in any of the 150 episodes I have shot for Rendezvous. Now, he has promised to come on the show when I begin it again. When I asked how I should contact him, Salman said, ‘Text me the time, place and date, and I will be there.’ His only request is that it should be the last episode of the season.”

Back in the business of hosting, actor Shekhar Suman is enjoying every bit of his stint on Bigg Boss 16. In a freewheeling chat, he spoke about BB, bringing back his popular show Movers and Shakers and his upcoming Bollywood film. Excerpts...

I used to watch Bigg Boss sporadically, I was never an avid watcher. But this time, since it is a part of my job, I am watching it religiously. I am not watching it just as an audience, but as a host. I have to study the contestants and their games. They are all very interesting case studies for me.

It came out of the blue! I still don’t know why the makers thought of me. Bigg Boss predominantly is a Salman Khan show and I wondered what I would do in it; I always thought that there was no space for anybody else as far as hosting BB was concerned. So I had my apprehensions as the show is synonymous with Salman. Also, I am used to doing my own shows and I was like, ‘What the hell am I going to do in someone else’s show’. But then, I was assured that mine is going to be a show within the main show, which I would do all by myself. So I took it up as a challenge and I am enjoying it.

Well, we are working on bringing back another season of Movers & Shakers. My mother was not well for the past four years, so I got her from Patna to Mumbai and wanted to spend time with her. Last year, unfortunately, I lost her and after that, I did Laughter Challenge and now Bigg Boss. I am also doing a movie with Sanjay Leela Bhansali. I have taken up so many projects now.

Within three months. We are working on that. The show is going to remain the same, only a few segments will change.

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The Sajid Khan clamour refuses to die down. Earlier this week, Delhi Commission for Women chief Swati Maliwal wrote to Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur, seeking the ouster of the #MeToo-accused filmmaker from Bigg Boss 16. In response, the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) said that Khan is allowed to work as he has served his punishment.

The filmmaker was banned for a year, which was lifted in March 2019. “Ek aadmi ko hum ek case ke liye ek baar hi saza de sakte hain. Not again. He has served his punishment. Now, if someone has any issue and feels more should be done, they should take the legal route,” Birendra Nath Tiwari, FWICE president, says while clarifying the intention of the letter. He adds, “One year is a long time for a director to sit at home. We formed a committee with activists and lawyers, who decided the time frame. We can’t impose a life ban.”

For writer Vinta Nanda, who accused actor Alok Nath of sexual harassment, the current reality of the small screen is a reflection of the patriarchal mindset. Nanda says, “It’s so horrifying to see that the battery of channel executives, which includes women, are making such decisions.”

Actor Kamya Panjabi aka Kamya Shalabh Dang is also hoping for a more “transparent way of dealing with such issues”, instead of playing the blame game.

The #MeToo movement became a watershed moment in history by bringing to light accounts of sexual harassment and misconduct at the workplace. However, five years after it first gained prominence, consequences faced by the accused remain remarkably different between the Indian film industry and Hollywood.

While reports by American media speak of how men accused of #MeToo struggle to find work, closer home, things haven’t changed much for celebs accused of harassment. Latest case in point being filmmaker Sajid Khan’s participation in the reality show Bigg Boss 16. Ever since the news first emerged, social media has been abuzz with people calling the makers out for their disregard towards the survivors, who had shared their #MeToo accounts against Khan in 2018.

Actor Tanushree Dutta, who became the torchbearer of the movement in India after speaking up against actor Nana Patekar and filmmaker Vivek Agnihotri, calls Khan’s entry into the show a “cheap publicity stunt” and a “desperate attempt” by makers to revive interest in the show.

Among the several women who accused Khan, was actor Mandana Karimi, who claimed that he had asked her to remove her clothes during a meeting for his film Humshakals (2014). In a recent interview with us, Karimi said she is not shocked that he is back in the limelight without any repercussions. “For people, life has become like, ‘If it is going to benefit me and I can make money, who cares?’ That shows why #MeToo movement in India and many other countries didn’t really reach anywhere,” Karimi, who has decided to bid adieu to Bollywood as a result, said.

But, this is not the first instance that such an uproar has been created over an accused facing no repercussions. National Award-winning singer Chinmayi Sripaada, who was among several women who named Tamil lyricist and poet Vairamuthu of sexual harassment. feels that such incidents make the process of coping with the trauma of abuse, tougher. “It does further the trauma. But, what can you do? My molester is the favourite nationalist Tamil boy. He continues to get a platform. So many women, who call themselves feminists, get clicked with him,” she says.

Sripaada, however, expresses hope that things will change. “I know when I came out, it was incredibly freeing... Change doesn’t happen instantly. I see men who have taken a step back after this movement, and looked inwards, trying to unlearn things. I think things will change, but they will take time,” she says.

Singer Neha Bhasin, who had spoken up against singer-composer Anu Malik in 2019, says such incidents do not undermine the accusations. “Why should I care about the verdict of a society that is okay with people accused of harassment getting important projects, as if nothing ever happened? It is their shame; those who decide to work with them and continue to be seen with them. They, in no way, undermine whatever any of the victims have said about the accused before,” she says.

Although the #MeToo wave first reached India in 2017, as it did in many other countries following the high profile cases in Hollywood, it became prominent only a year later in 2018, after actor Tanushree Dutta opened up about her account, accusing actor Nana Patekar of sexual harassment.

That interview served as the prompt for multiple others, who spoke out against high profile names in the industry. Some of those accused included filmmakers Rajkumar Hirani, Vikas Bahl, Subhash Kapoor and Sajid Khan, singers Anu Malik and Kailash Kher, and actors Alok Nath and Rajat Kapoor.

However, nearly all of those who have been accused, continue to get work in their respective fields. Social media outbursts from several pro feminist and #MeToo handles, and countless online petitions, have all fallen on deaf ears as makers continue to offer projects and positions of respect and importance to the accused.

Allegations against the composer first emerged when singer Sona Mohapatra accused him of referring to her as “maal”. Shortly after, singer Shweta Pandit opened up about being sexually harassed by him when she was 15. The alleged incident took place in 2001, when Pandit visited Empire Studio in Mumbai’s Andheri for an audition. Malik denied the allegations. While Indian Idol removed him as a judge after an uproar in 2019, he got back to the seat, a season later.

A journalist accused the filmmaker of assaulting her and exposing his genitals while she was interviewing him in the early 2000s. Another woman alleged that he harassed her in 2011 when she was working as his assistant director. Several others, including actor Mandana Karimi recounted being assaulted by the filmmaker. While he stepped down as the director of Housefull 4 (2019), Khan is back as a contestant on a reality show.

A crew member accused filmmaker Vikas Bahl of assaulting her during the filming of Bombay Velvet in Goa in 2015. Actor Kangana Ranaut, too, has accused him of sexual misconduct. Bahl sent legal notices to his former business partners, filmmakers Anurag Kashyap and Vikramaditya Motwane for making “defamatory allegations” against him. Following this, he worked with actor Hrithik Roshan in the film Super 30 (2019) and more recently, directed Goodbye, starring Amitabh Bachchan and Rashmika Mandanna.

Writer and director Vinta Nanda accused actor Alok Nath in 2018 of raping her in the 1990s. Subsequently, actors Renuka Shahane, Himani Shivpuri, Sandhya Mridul, Deepika Amin and an anonymous Hum Saath-Saath Hain crew member have either admitted to knowing about Nath’s predatory behaviour or written about their own experiences. Nath has denied the allegations and filed a defamation case against Nanda, with his wife’s support. He featured in two films Sonu Ke Teetu Ki Sweety (2018) and De De Pyaar de (2019) after the incident.

Actor Nana Patekar was accused by actor Tanushree Dutta, making him the first prominent name to be highlighted in the #MeToo movement in the Indian film industry. He denied the allegations and tried to drag her to court as well. Two years later, he starred in the film It’s My Life, alongside Harman Baweja and Genelia Deshmukh. Patekar is reportedly gearing up for his next release, The Confession.

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“The law and order in the US is strong. So, the people have that support. We need to strengthen our system like that. Everyone needs to come together in solidarity in India to eliminate such crimes. Industry veterans, production houses and seniors need to be more responsible not to send such a horrible message to society.”

“Incidents like these are a glaring reflection of the deep-rooted patriarchy. People might get richer and buy expensive cars, but the mindset remains the same. Women are held accountable on the basis of morality, while men are not held accountable to the same standards. Everyone is out to character assassinate a woman. And that’s why the consequences will be different here. The fact that it is acceptable, that someone can get to work after such incidents, just cements my thoughts about India being a patriarchal society.”

“There are people who agree to compromise and keep their mouths shut, or not talk about the things happening around, thinking what difference will one person make? That is the main problem... It was just a few women, they came, they spoke and that was it. Where is the action? Who is boycotting these people? Nothing is going to happen. The industry is a place were someone is someone’s mum, boyfriend, girlfriend or husband. It’s like, you scratch my back, and I will scratch yours.”

“There are not many Harvey Weinsteins (disgraced producer) in the world, who get what the deserve. Even to women in the West, their system tells them that they do it (speak up) for cheap publicity, fame or money. In India, things are even difficult because it happens on a very deep rooted cultural level, which has gone on for generations. Even in regular households, women who suffer abuse are told to adjust and keep shut or not talk about it, while the people who do the deeds, are invited to family functions and what not. But all is not bad, I do see things changing and men wanting to unlearn things. That’s the most important step, I believe.”

In 2018, when the #MeToo wave hit India, it appeared that time was truly up — on sexual harassment and misconduct, and power imbalance. But four years on, we are, unfortunately, a long way from effecting change. The entertainment industry’s moral bankruptcy came sharply into focus last week, as #MeToo accused Sajid Khan was brought on as a contestant on Bigg Boss 16.

Bollywood has habitually rehabilitated many of the accused, be it Anu Malik turning judge for Indian Idol 11 and 12, or director Vikas Bahl whose Goodbye opened in theatres yesterday. Even as the powerbrokers remain silent on the latest move, there is an online petition to evict Khan from the reality show.

On Wednesday, digital content creators Chandana Hiran and Sukriti Chauhan launched a petition on Change.org, demanding Khan’s ouster. Earlier in the week, singer Sona Mohapatra, in a series of tweets, slammed his inclusion on the show, calling Indian TV channels a “depraved and sad lot.”

Hiran tells mid-day, “We have collected over 13,000 signatures. Celebrities like Sona Mohapatra, Meera Chopra, Saloni Chopra and Chinmayi Sripaada have come out publicly and condemned this. But Colors TV is yet to acknowledge our petition. We want them to respond. One understands that they have already shot a few episodes [with Khan], but we want to know their stand on the matter. Are they planning to continue despite protests?”

In 2018, Khan was accused of sexual harassment by several actors and a journalist, among others. He was dropped from Housefull 4, a film that he was then directing, and had stayed away from the limelight until Bigg Boss 16. Hiran is hopeful that the rising voices will make the officials at Colors TV do right by the brave women, instead of chasing TRPs.

“They have been eerily silent. All we want to hear right now is that they condemn sexual harassment, and he should be evicted immediately. They need to take responsibility. We have reached out to the Viacom 18 TV Head [Nina Jaipuria] and Viacom 18 CEO [Jyoti Deshpande].”

After mid-day’s repeated attempts to reach out to Colors TV officials, the channel’s spokesperson declined to comment. A source revealed that Khan had been  approached for one of the previous seasons as well. “Sajid was chased down by the show’s casting agents a few times before. It took a lot of to and fro between the legal teams to lock him for this season. He is getting votes, which works for the show’s format.”

Tina Datta became a household name when she made her appearance in the daily soap, Uttaran. While she began her acting career as a child artiste, it was in 2009 that she finally managed to make her mark. After playing diverse roles throughout her career, the actor will now showcase her real self on Bigg Boss 16. As she mentally prepares herself to live away from family with strangers for 90 days, Dutta talks about her prep, her hope of finding love, and choosing her battles wisely.

Edited excerpts from the interview.

No one can fake through their journey inside the house. Even if you pretend to be someone else for a month, after that, you cannot hide the real you because cameras are rolling 24x7. I’m not going inside the house with the notion that I’ll win by being Sati Savitri. Bigg Boss is a show that [showcases] your personality, and I want to show it to my audience and fans. They already love me for the person I am.

An actor’s life is an open book. There is nothing about me that the audience doesn’t already know. Everything has already come out in the media. I don’t fear that if I do this show, controversial things about my life will be revealed, because there is nothing controversial. However, I’ve had a lot of ups and downs in my life. That could be motivating for people from small towns who are struggling to be actors.

There isn’t one definite way to win the show. Sidharth Shukla didn’t do much in the kitchen, but still won the season. It’s the graph [of your journey in the house] and whether the audience likes your personality [that determines your run]. This is a mind game that depends on how you are projecting yourself.

I am open-minded about it. Often, the audiences feel that [the contestants] are faking their love on the show. But eventually, after they get out of the house, they are still together. It proves that they were never faking it. When you are with someone 24x7, everything happens in fast forward mode. What a person learns about another in a month [in real life], you understand that in a week in the house.

If they find me a nice guy in the house, why not? I don’t know who [else] is participating, but definitely send in a guy [laughs]. Since I am not dating anyone, I doubt I can get married in the house.

That depends on the situation. If the situation calls for it, I will immediately react to it. That said, I also believe some battles don’t need to be fought. When there is a need, I put my foot down. I hope to be the same on the show.

I will take all my comfortable outfits that I normally wear at home. Not everything is going to be designer wear. I am also taking photo frames of my family and fur babies.

I would rather have that unfold on the show. I don’t want to show all my cards right here.