Anu Malik faced severe criticism after several female singers like Sona Mohapatra, Neha Bhasin, Alisha Chinai, and Shweta Pandit who came forward during the #MeToo movement and accused him of sexual misconduct. Consequently, he was removed from the judging panel of the 10th season of the singing reality show ‘Indian Idol’ in the year 2018.
However, the next year in 2019, the makers of the show decided to reinstate him on the show’s jury, causing outrage. In response, Sona Mohapatra wrote an open letter to the Minister of Women & Child Development, after which Malik stepped down and exited the show.
But yet again, Anu Malik has been brought back to the show this year as well as the 12th season’s judge, replacing Vishal Dadlani as the third judge who couldn’t continue due to unknown reasons, Jagran reports.
#indianidol #IndianIdol2020 #indianidol12 #NehaKakkar #Pawandeeprajan #arunitakanjilal pic.twitter.com/xjK7DjMSdH
— Indian Idol (@indian_idol12) April 28, 2021
Following this, several people took to Twitter condemning the TV channel’s decision:
@sonamohapatra @SonyTV So Anu Malik is back to Indian Idol. All os forgotten and pardoned. Excellent. Shame on you Sony TV.
— purple (@rachnakaul20) May 11, 2021
@SonyLIV how do you allow an offender like Anu Malik back on the Indian Idol show? No ethics ? Also, doesn’t this amount to exploitation of the participants who cannot afford to antagonise him or the show producers? Is there nothing above commerce now?
— Nimish Sutaria (@NimishSutaria) May 12, 2021
Anu Malik should be kicked out of of Indian Idol
Otherwise boycott Indian Idol.— Piyush Mathur (@PiyushM00101497) May 11, 2021
@SonyTV It’s moral bankruptcy on the part of Sony TV to bring back a creep like Anu Malik on Indian idol. Entertainment industry has no morals whether it’s Bollywood or TV.
— Umesh Shah (@UmeshShah01) May 9, 2021
Don’t know why they are dragging this show Indian Idol so much, and how come anu malik is back when he was removed from this show
— Rashi kotwalwala (@Rashikotwalwala) May 10, 2021
INDIAN Idol is going extremely well but the appearance of Anu Malik by BACK DOOR is deplorable. Why SONY is encouraging a Womenizer in this show.
— Gopal (@Gopal92913847) May 9, 2021
Sona Mohapatra took to Twitter to post a series of tweets lashing the TV channel and its makers. She also tagged the National Commission of Women (NCW) Twitter handle as well:
In all the death, despair & scrambling to stay afloat in this pandemic, TV channels have made a considered decision to sneak in serial sexual predators called out by multiple women in the public domain & put them on the chair. This is not my shame #India . Its on @NCWIndia & you.
— Sona Mohapatra (@sonamohapatra) May 6, 2021
Anu Malik,Kailash Kher had even minors on their lists of women who spoke up about being sexually harassed & assaulted. I have details of the legal docs sent by women to @NCWIndia from abroad even. They received no response.These men are confident that #India doesn’t care about us https://t.co/1GcJl5WunK
— Sona Mohapatra (@sonamohapatra) May 6, 2021
Saw this ‘trend’ last night & thought to myself-bringing back a serial sexual predator like Anu Malik isn’t bringing them the free publicity they seek from the women he sexually harassed this time,so Sony TV executives need to now buy trends for some TRP’s. #LegacyOfShame to them https://t.co/IP7b6m3Hp2
— Sona Mohapatra (@sonamohapatra) May 10, 2021
🙏🏾❣️ #IndiaCares https://t.co/FIdOyfLHtI
— Sona Mohapatra (@sonamohapatra) May 9, 2021
What is your take on the entire incident? Tell us.