Showing posts with label Shilpa Shinde interview. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Shilpa Shinde interview. Show all posts
Shilpa Shinde on retracting her sexual harassment allegation against producer Sanjay Kohli: "I wanted to come clean"
10:56 PM
HINDUSTAN TIMES (June 4, 2026)
Nearly a decade after accusing Bhabi Ji Ghar Par Hai! producer Sanjay Kohli of sexual harassment, actor Shilpa Shinde has claimed that the allegations were “false” and made because she had “no other option” to exit a contractual dispute.
Shilpa, who played Angoori Bhabhi before being replaced by Shubhangi Atre in 2016, was embroiled in one of TV’s biggest public fallouts. She had accused Kohli and the production team of sexual harassment, mental torture, non-payment of dues and creating a hostile work environment. The dispute also involved industry bodies, including CINTAA and the producers’ association, before ending in a settlement.
Speaking on Bharti Singh and Haarsh Limbachiyaa’s podcast, Shilpa said, “I filed a sexual harassment case against my producer because I had no other option. Eventually, I got out of that situation because the matter was settled. I filed the case on that basis because the police directly tell you that if you want an FIR registered, you have to make serious allegations.”
Shilpa said she felt trapped despite having quit the show and claimed Kohli later understood the circumstances that led to the complaint. “Poor man, he ended up getting defamed because of it. Today, through this platform, I want to say that it was false. I am confessing this for the first time,” she said.
Shilpa returned to Bhabi Ji Ghar Par Hai! in 2025 and says she now shares a cordial relationship with the team. We reached out to Sanjay Kohli for comment. No response was received till the time of going to press.
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Neha Maheshwri (BOMBAY TIMES; June 5, 2026)
Nearly a decade after her acrimonious exit from the TV show Bhabi Ji Ghar Par Hai!, Shilpa Shinde returned to the show last December. This came as a surprise to everyone because the actress had accused producer Sanjay Kohli of sexual harassment, non-payment of dues and creating a hostile work environment in 2016. In a recent podcast, Shilpa admitted that the allegation that she had made against him was false. Her remarks have also raised uncomfortable questions about accountability and the impact such reversals can have on survivors of workplace harassment. It is against this backdrop that we spoke to Shinde.
‘I cannot even begin to explain the kind of harassment I went through during that phase’
Recalling how the dispute escalated at that time, Shilpa says, “I was asked to sign an exclusivity contract with the channel for the show. In return, I asked for a 25 per cent raise and five days off every month, but they didn’t agree. After that, stories started circulating that I was troubling the producers and wasn’t reporting to the shoot. CINTAA (Cine and TV Artistes Association) asked me to resume shooting the very next day without anyone hearing my side of the story. I told them my dues of Rs. 37 lakh should be cleared, and then I would return to work immediately. Meanwhile, auditions for my replacement were being conducted without informing me.”
She adds, “No one was taking my calls. Main 20 saal se industry mein kaam kar rahi hoon, aur aap kisi ko is tarah badnaam karte ho. No one tried to understand the challenges I was dealing with. I cannot even begin to explain the kind of harassment I went through during that phase.”
‘Sanjay Kohli is a nice man and was the one person who could have resolved the issue back then’
Speaking about Sanjay Kohli, she says, “He is a nice man. He speaks softly and knows how to get work done. What I never understood was why he wasn’t present at the meetings around my exit. He was the one person who could have resolved the issue. The matter was eventually settled in court, and we agreed not to speak about each other after that. After all this, I continued receiving offers to return to Bhabi Ji Ghar Par Hai! from different quarters. And finally, I took it up in December last year, and things have been fine between all of us.”
When asked whether her allegation could undermine the experiences of women who genuinely face sexual harassment, Shilpa says, “A year of my life went by dealing with all this. A fake MMS of mine was also circulated at the time, which caused even more stress. I have a family, too. Jo mere saath hua, I wanted to return it.”
I’m glad Shilpa came forward with the truth: Binaiferr Kohli
When contacted, Binaiferr Kohli chose not to comment on the larger controversy. She said, “Shilpa speaking up and admitting that she falsely accused my husband after so many years was unexpected. I am glad she came forward with the truth and clarified the matter, as we have always known what the truth was. We have moved on, and I do not wish to comment further on the matter.”
Shilpa’s admission that she falsely accused producer Sanjay Kohli has sparked a discussion in the industry. Hina Khan, without naming Shilpa, posted on Instagram.
She wrote, “Yes, using your sex to malign someone’s image in order to Win during a conflict is absolutely shameful. And everyone is Absolutely Right to Call it out and demand justice. I am shocked beyond words... But I want to talk about the “Real Victim” here. A respected Man with a wife, a daughter and many other women in his family.. A real hardworking producer with many iconic shows. Who went through such an ordeal. As admitted by the Female Actor, her allegations were not just baseless they were used to gain advantage, to win, to score, to claim, to settle without the utilisation of Law. And even after that, the SAME producer gives the SAME show to the SAME person. Another LAUNCHPAD, another MOUTHPIECE, another RELEVANCE, another CHANCE to legitimise her Fake Claim of SEXUAL ASSAULT.. What if the Actor repeats it? After all the actor has been given the same show by the one she falsely ACCUSED... I AM APPALLED. THE JOKE IS ON US (sic).”
Shilpa Shinde recalls exiting Bhabi Ji Ghar Par Hai due to ill-treatment: "Bottom line was to control me"
2:21 PM
Priyanka Sharma (MID-DAY; December 23, 2025)
Shilpa Shinde calls it “destiny” that she is reprising her role in Bhabi Ji Ghar Par Hai 2.0, nine years after she had an acrimonious split with the channel, &TV, and left the show. But in the interim, the actor was a regular viewer of the comedy that saw Shubhangi Atre step into her role of Angoori Bhabhi alongside Aasif Sheikh, and Rohitashv Gour.
“I never felt any jealousy or drew any comparisons between her [Atre] and myself. I always thought to myself, ‘Bhabhi ji toh main hi hoon. Chalo, aap kar lo.’ It’s been almost 10 years but wherever I go, I am still called Bhabhi ji,” says Shinde.
Even as she looks forward to replicating the show’s success with the 2.0 version, the actor reflects on the bitterness that had marked her exit in 2016. She had accused the makers of mentally torturing her, while the production house, Edit II Productions, had sent her a legal notice accusing her of breach of contract.
Shinde recalls that “some people” in the channel tried cashing in on her character’s success. “At that time, every show except ours had flopped. So, these people wanted to exert control on our show. They tried to gain publicity for the channel through me. They sent me to a TV award ceremony in my character’s outfit! Whether from the channel or other authorities, the bottomline was to control me.”
To Shinde, the episode taught her an important life lesson. She recounts, “Even after giving everything to the show for a year, I was completely sidelined. A lot of misunderstandings were created. I took this experience as a lesson, it showed me the real [nature] of people. I didn’t have any complaints with my co-stars. There were people claiming that I had left Bhabi Ji Ghar Par Hai for another show. No one knew the reality.”
Sachhai kadvi hoti hai, and I feel people are intimidated by me-Shilpa Shinde
9:31 AM
Neha Maheshwri (BOMBAY TIMES; June 12, 2024)
Last seen in a cameo role in Maddam Sir, in which her track ended abruptly, Shilpa Shinde is set to return to television after over a year with the 14th season of Fear Factor: Khatron Ke Khiladi.
Speaking about the gap between projects, she says, “People often ask me why I haven’t been working. It’s not that I don’t want to work, but I should get an offer that truly excites me. There’s a common belief that once you step away from the screen, you are finished. However, by the grace of God, that hasn’t happened to me. As an actor, I feel fortunate not to have an expiry date, and that’s because I feel content with what I have done and don’t panic. I want to be selective about my work, and for that, patience is key. Some people take up any project that comes their way, but as an artiste, main khud ko khatam kyun karoon by accepting everything offered to me.”
‘I feel people are intimidated by me’
Shilpa seems to attract controversy with almost every project she has taken up. Whether it was her exit from Bhabiji Ghar Par Hai a few years ago, her remark that “the judges should think before commenting” during her stint on Jhalak Dikkhla Jaa in 2022, or her clash with Gulki Joshi during Maddam Sir, she has been in the news.
Ask her about this, and she says, “Controversy ho jaati hai; create nahi kar sakte aap. The problem is that my truth becomes controversial. Regarding Jhalak, I just said what I felt. It was a normal message from my end that snowballed into a controversy. Sachhai kadvi hoti hai, and I feel people are intimidated by me. However, when they work with me, they tell me I am very simple and realize they fell for hearsay. People make assumptions and form perceptions about me without knowing me. That has happened to me a lot.”
‘I don’t regret quitting Bhabi Ji Ghar Par Hai,’
Her portrayal of Angoori bhabhi in Bhabi Ji Ghar Par Hai, remains a landmark in her career, and her sudden exit in 2016 led to much speculation. In hindsight, does she regret her departure from the show?
“I don’t have any regrets and look at it positively. If I had stayed, I would have continued playing the same role and wouldn’t have explored other opportunities. TV aapko wahiin baitha deta hai. Besides, certain characters become so iconic that they can’t be recreated,” she replies.
Maine apne kaan pakad liye that I would steer away from relationships-Shilpa Shinde
8:08 AM
Tanvi Trivedi (BOMBAY TIMES; April 28, 2022)
Shilpa Shinde, who was last seen in Bigg Boss 11 and Gangs Of Filmistan, a standup comedy show, says that she prefers being single. The actress, who was engaged to actor Romit Raj years ago, does not miss being in a relationship.
Shilpa says, “Romit and I were engaged a long time ago and I was very young at that point. I didn’t want to settle down at that time, but everyone around me felt it was the right age to get married. Subsequently, things didn’t work out between Romit and me, and the relationship fell apart. After my engagement broke off, I did get into another relationship, but that was a very bad experience. Maine apne kaan pakad liye that I would steer away from relationships. I’ve realised that I am happy being single. I can’t be answerable to anyone. When I am working, and if someone asks me where I am going or what I am doing, I can’t keep answering him.”
Talking further about relationships, she adds, “Today, I see so many relationships falling apart. I don’t understand why decade-long relationships don’t work out and incompatibility is cited as the reason. How can a couple who has been together for 10 years suddenly find themselves incompatible? Even though my parents want me to get married, I am not desperate to find a companion and prefer to be single. And even if I do find someone in the future, I will not want to label the relationship.”
Shilpa, who won Bigg Boss 11, hasn’t worked in a fiction show since 2017 after she quit Bhabi Ji Ghar Par Hai In the last five years, she’s only done a couple of stand-up comedy shows and web shows, and admits that she hasn’t been offered anything exciting after Bhabi Ji...
She says, “There is money, fame and a lot of good work in television, but people have assumed that I don’t want to act in TV shows. And since I wasn’t offered anything nice, I explored the digital medium and did a couple of web shows. Bhabi Ji. . . was my comeback show and after that, I didn’t want to do something give expressions.”
The actress is known to speak her mind and has been accused of throwing tantrums in the past. Ask her about it and she says, “There have been certain issues, but if those are being projected as throwing tantrums or having an attitude, then I don’t want to say anything. I am clear, forthright and not diplomatic about things, so people feel I am short-tempered and lose my cool. But the truth is the truth.”
Hina Khan treated me like a servant-Shilpa Shinde
8:04 AM
Letty Mariam Abraham (MID-DAY; January 16, 2018)
While reality show competitors are quick to forgo animosity towards each other once they are off set, Bigg Boss 11 winner and television actor Shilpa Shinde refuses to put her dislike for close contender Hina Khan behind her. Shinde, a favourite since the controversial reality show kicked off in October, beat Khan, a popular TV star, last evening, taking home the R44 lakh prize money.
In a post-win interview to mid-day, moments after bagging the trophy from host Salman Khan, Shinde said she has only Khan to blame for her troubles on the show.
"Hina was the meanest person on the show. She would be sweet only if she wanted something from you. If you confronted her about the comments she made, she would deny them outright," she said, adding that she had secretly hoped that the final fight remained between her and Khan so that she could beat her. "I'm glad it happened that way."
Khan was not the most popular contestant in the house during the three-month-long stint, and it was often that fans of both actors would be at loggerheads on social media. Shinde alleged that Khan, who gained popularity as Akshara in the daily soap, Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata Hai, "treated me like a servant."
Accused of spending most of her time cooking meals for the housemates so that she could avoid participating in tasks assigned by Bigg Boss, Shinde described her experience as "horrid". "It's not easy to cook for 20 people. If I made extra food, they would complain; if it fell short, it was again an issue. Hina squirmed if the food was stale. Despite doing everything [I could], she wasn't appreciative," Shinde said, adding that things got worse because Khan chose to mock her misery.
But the win has turned tables. Shinde called it a "slap" on the face of those who criticised her. The only housemate she hopes to keep in touch with is Puneesh Sharma, who she claimed appreciated her for who she was.
The other contestant, and close contender for the prize, Vikas Gupta, was another thorn in her flesh. That he was responsible for her ouster from the hit comedy show, Bhabi Ji Ghar Par Hai [BGPH], which led to her being out of work for two years, was a topic of discussion throughout the season. Although she and Gupta managed to bury the hatchet in the house, Shinde said she doesn't foresee a professional collaboration with him.
"I want to finally be known as myself, not as a character from a daily soap," she said referring to Angoori, the character that catapulted her to fame. "I won't do another reality show either. I want to now try my hand at hosting [shows] and acting in films."
Hina Khan
Hina Khan is the only person I won’t meet outside the house-Bigg Boss winner Shilpa Shinde
8:01 AM
Neha Maheshwri (BOMBAY TIMES; January 16, 2018)
Shilpa Shinde, TV’s original Angoori bhabhi, emerged the winner of Bigg Boss 11, on Sunday night. It was her straightforwardness that propelled her to victory. From locking horns with her arch-nemesis Vikas Gupta — their rivalry began two years ago — and then warming up to him; being at loggerheads with fellow inmate Hina Khan, to becoming ‘ShilMa’ to Arshi Khan and Akash Dadlani, the audience witnessed several but real shades of Shilpa, whose sole reason to participate on the show was to show her true self to the world. Here are excerpts from her candid chat with BT after the win...
‘HINA IS ARROGANT AND MEAN’
The actress says that she wanted Hina in the final two, to compete with her for the trophy. She says, “I was hoping for her to be the other contestant when I win the show.” The actress couldn’t strike a chord with Hina, though we saw them team up against Vikas just before the show reached its final leg. So, can two actresses never be friends? With her characteristic bluntness, Shilpa replies, “Many actresses have been friends, but Hina is different. She is arrogant and really mean. I will have to think hard to count the good things about her; I haven’t been able to find any till now. When we entered the house, she seemed to know everything about the show, as she has followed every single season. So, I asked her if we could keep our belongings in the drawer and she replied, ‘Mere papa ka show hai kya?’ I was shocked at her response. She would say mean things and then claim that she has never said it. Hina commented on my dress sense and said that I can’t pull off Western clothes. It’s up to me; If I don’t want to wear Western clothes, I won’t. Actually, unko lomdi (vixen) bola tha show mein kisi ne. Though I felt bad for her in the beginning, eventually, I couldn’t agree more with that term. Hina is probably the only person I won’t meet outside.”
Shilpa adds, “I was really fond of that girl. I thought she was pretty and liked her work. But many people, including the technicians of her show, had warned me to be careful of her. Many told me, ‘Hina Khan aa rahi hai show mein, bahut chaalaak hain’.”
‘EVERYTHING IS FINE BETWEEN VIKAS AND ME’
While her equation with Hina wasn’t good, Shilpa actually mended ties with her archrival, fellow contestant Vikas Gupta. She says, “Vikas has been a good player and his journey on the show was interesting. I think I was also instrumental in making it interesting, though I don’t know if he will give me the credit. After locking horns with Vikas in the beginning, there came a time when I handled the matter maturely and took a back seat. However, people viewed that too with suspicion, wondering how I could become friends with him in just two days. What people didn’t notice was that Vikas was trying to be nice to me since day one, but I didn’t reciprocate.”
There were even stories of her marriage with Vikas when they were inside the house. “It’s a joke. Mere itne bure din aaye hain kya?” she asks.
Shilpa says that she wouldn’t even mind collaborating with Vikas professionally. “Everything is fine between us. During a task, he promised to cast me on a show. Since I have committed, I will work with him, but I don’t want to take up a daily soap and be bound by a character. I hope I get good work in Bollywood. I had signed a film, but they were waiting for Nawazuddin Siddiqui’s dates. I entered the house during that time.”
‘SALMAN JI KE LIYE KUCHH BHI KAROONGI’
Apart from her fans who broke Twitter in her support, the one person who praised her on multiple occasions was the host himself — Salman Khan. Has he offered her anything yet? “He hasn’t offered or promised me anything yet. Also, we haven’t got a chance to speak about it. I have no qualms about asking Salman for work; I feel I can ask him directly. But then, I have never asked anyone for work. His support is enough for me. He praised me and said that we will meet. He had such nice things to tell me. He said that I am a really nice person, which is such a good feeling.”
So, will the television bhabhi agree to play Salman’s bhabhi in a film and pat comes the reply, “Salman ji ke liye kuchh bhi karoongi, anything!”
‘I HAVE BEEN CALLED MAA AND IT’S A THANKLESS JOB’
About her graduation from bhabhiji to ShilMa, Shilpa says, “It’s been a great journey and I have been my real self. Many people had issues with me cooking in the kitchen. However, I would like to say that on days when food wasn’t enough, I have skipped my meal and fed others. I cooked again if it got over. Hina once mentioned that she would recommend the future Bigg Boss participants to learn cooking, if they wanted to win the show. I got the title of ShilMa because of my honesty; I don’t know if they used it for their game or wanted to show me as old, which even Salman Khan mentioned once on the show. He said, ‘Aapko maa bol kar aapka istemaal kiya gaya hai, game ke liye, ki aap badi dikhe’. I never hid my age, though. I couldn’t understand the real intention, but I was happy with the title. I have been called Maa and it’s a thankless job. But it’s wisely said that one shouldn’t expect anything. Duniya ka dastoor hai ki neki kar dariya mein daal.”
Remind her how the gharwaale called her ‘flip’ during the show and she says, “Gharwale khud flip the isliye main flip dikhti thi unko. I don’t know when I flipped.” She adds, “People who know me know main kaisi hoon. That’s the reason I entered the house with Salman mouthing his famous dialogue: ‘Ye dil mein aati hai samajh mein nahi’. I don’t have many friends in the industry, but jo mujhe jaante hain unhe pata hai main kaisi hoon. People used to say usko chhedo mat, shaant hai woh. Meri satakti hai toh satakti hai. Aata maajhi satakli.”
‘I WANT TO SEEK DIVINE BLESSINGS’
And just as the victory is sinking in, we ask her what she plans to do with the cash prize of Rs 44 lakh and she replies, “Laddoo milega toh sab mein batega. Honestly, I haven’t thought about it yet. The first thing I am going to do is visit a Hanuman temple. I want to seek divine blessings.”
I don’t have the capacity to do any daily soaps-Shilpa Shinde
8:00 AM
Nayandeep Rakshit (DNA; January 16, 2018)
After three months of struggle, fights, drama and emotions, Bigg Boss 11 has found its winner. TV actress Shilpa Shinde has won the trophy this year. The actress, who also received an amount of Rs 44 lakh, talks to us about winning the show, her future plans, and why it doesn’t involve daily soaps at all.
Weren’t you expecting to win the show?
(Smiles) Yes, I won’t say that I wasn’t expecting it. In Weekend Ka Vaar episodes with Salman ji he used to tell us how we were faring and that gave me confidence. I’m happy that I was shown the way I am. I was aware that this game was about strategies, which is why I was never fond of Bigg Boss in the first place. I said ‘No’ so many times. It took the people from the channel seven hours to convince me. After I entered the show, I was just being myself.
Being a TV star, you had the baggage of an image, which could’ve been destroyed once you came on Bigg Boss. Was that always playing on your mind?
See, Hiten (Tejwani) and I are like this in real life, too. Whatever you have seen on the show is how we are. There were times when I used to ask Hiten to react and not be cold. I’m aggressive at times and there are also situations where I get very angry. But I also let it go after a point. Even when I got out of Bhabi Ji Ghar Par Hai, I did the same. Nothing is permanent. So, yes, I was aware that viewers have seen me in a particular way but then, nobody can act for three-and-a-half months.
Do you see this as redemption?
Yes. I’m happy that I have won a show where there was public voting and my fans made sure I got the trophy. I always wanted to give an answer to whatever was being said about me, but I waited for the right time.
There were a record number of tweets for you...
I haven’t completely heard about it but when I was at the mall (for the live voting), there were posters which said ‘Record break on Twitter’ so mujhe thoda andaza toh ho chuka tha. There were people who came and told me that they are watching the show only for two people — Salmanji and me. Then, there were people who came and asked me not to trust Puneesh (Sharma). The craze was overwhelming. But staying in that house is no joke. It was a horrible experience because of the conditions that we are put in. I’m happy I won because of my willpower but it’s crazy inside.
How have you changed post Bigg Boss?
Whatever I have gone through outside, it helped me to withstand whatever happened to me inside the house. Otherwise, I would have gone mad. It gave me the power and energy to face difficult people. Logon se zyada bhayankar kuch nahi hai life mein. From the first day, people started calling me aggressive.
It’s between Vikas (Gupta) and me and it’s up to me how I’m handling it. So my whole experience has helped me understand how to deal with everyone better.
You and Vikas had your share of nok-jhonk. Would you be friends with him?
We never became friends inside the show. In the whole incident that happened to me (referring to her decision to quit Bhabi ji Ghar Par Hai), Vikas was the root cause. He just disappeared and whenever I would take his name in the media, it would be beeped. I got to know on the day of Bigg Boss’ premiere that he was also coming on the show. I knew that iske peechhe zaroor koi raaz hai. Because aaj tak, no producer has come inside the house. So I took it as my chance to take revenge and maine haste haste apna badla liya.
But what’s the status between you two now?
Abhi, it’s okay. Khatas mit gayi! By heart, he’s not a bad person and you can see that when you watch him on this show. But when you are at a particular position, everyone wants to dictate terms to you. I had told him that he got the wrong picture of me and he should have given me a little more time. I was asked to do Code Red, which I had refused because I didn’t want to juggle two shows. When he knew all this, he shouldn’t have reacted. Nobody knows exactly how things happened but I know that he was the main culprit.
But he wants to work with you...
Yes, I’ve promised that I will work with him and I will maintain that. I told him clearly that I won’t do a daily soap ever again. So he has offered me a web series and I’ll do it. Story bhi suna chuke hain woh mujhe! He’s like now, ‘I’ve told you, bahar jaake palto mat’(laughs). So, I’ll definitely do it. But I don’t have the capacity to do any daily soaps.
Do you look forward to doing more reality shows then?
As a TV contestant or celebrity, I would not participate in any reality show. I don’t have the stature to be a judge yet, so obviously, I can’t take up that role either. But I want to host TV shows. I’m very interested in that.
And there are talks of a film as well...
Yes, you are right. There are one or two offers. I was supposed to start in November-December but I participated in Bigg Boss without informing the makers. So now, I don’t know what’s the scenario. But there were a couple of films, so let’s see.
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