Shilpa Shinde, who recently entered Lock Upp: Sach Ya Sazaa as a wildcard contestant, found herself talking about the false sexual harassment case she had filed against Bhabiji Ghar Par Hain producer Sanjay Kohli.
During the episode, co-host Riteish Deshmukh asked the contestants to share what they thought about the issue. Most of the contestants said that making a false allegation is a serious matter because it can ruin a person’s life. However, Akanksha Chamola was the only contestant who spoke in Shilpa’s support.
Akanksha Says Shilpa May Have Had No Other Option
Akanksha said she was not supporting Shilpa’s decision, but she believed the actress may have felt helpless at that time. ‘Being a woman mujhe aisa lagta hain ki kahi na kahi woh woman itni helpless hogi ki shayad usko yahi zariya dikh raha hoga (I feel as a woman that she must have felt helpless and could not see any other way out),’ she said.
She further added, ‘I am not supporting what she has done, but I am just trying to face the fact that ap agar bohot badey insaan se larr rahe ho aur koi bhi topic pe lad rahe ho, aur ap dekh rahe ho ki uske paas usse jyada hold hain over everything else, toh maybe she was cornered. Because whatever said and done, she is still working now with the same producer (If one is fighting with someone that big on any topic, they see how much hold that person has).’
What Did Shilpa Shinde Say?
A few weeks ago, Shilpa appeared on Bharti Singh and Haarsh Limbachiyaa’s podcast, where she said that the sexual harassment case she had filed against producer Sanjay Kohli was false. She explained that after leaving Bhabiji Ghar Par Hain, she had not received her pending payment and felt she had no other way to fight for herself.
Shilpa also said that the case was later settled outside court, after which she got her pending dues.
Many Actors Criticised Shilpa
After Shilpa’s statement, several people from the entertainment industry criticised her. Actors Pooja Bedi and Hina Khan spoke against her, saying that false allegations are a serious issue.
The All India Cine Workers Association (AICWA) also shared a statement on Instagram, calling Shilpa’s remarks a matter of “concern” for the film and television industry.