Bollywood director Subhash Ghai has often been in the news, but not always for the right reasons. For instance, his name came up in shocking allegations of sexual harassment and rape and actor Salman Khan claimed Subhash Ghai pissed on his shoes in an old interview.
As per a report in HT, actor Mahima Chaudhry spoke up in an interview about being bullied in the industry. She had made her debut with the 1997 film ‘Pardes’ with Shah Rukh Khan, which was directed by Subhash Ghai.
She explains, “I was bullied by Mr. Subhash Ghai. He even took me to the court and wanted me to cancel my first show. It was quite stressful. He sent a message to all the producers that nobody should work with me!”
She continues, “If you pick up one of the issues of Trade Guide magazine in 1998 or 1999, there was an ad that he had given which stated that if anybody wanted to work with me, that person would have to contact him. Otherwise, it would be a breach of contract. However, there was no such contract which said that I had to seek his permission.”
As per ABP Live, she also spoke up about those in the industry who came forward with their support. She recalls, “Salman Khan, Sanjay Dutt, David Dhawan, and Rajkumar Santoshi were the only four people who stood by me. They all told me to stay strong. David Dhawan called and told me that, ‘Don’t worry and don’t let him bully you.’ Apart from these four people, I didn’t receive a call from anyone else.”
She also talked about being replaced by Urmila Matondkar in the 1998 film ‘Satya’ by director Ram Gopal Verma. She reveals, “That was supposed to be my second film. I had taken the signing amount. He didn’t even have the decency to call me or my manager and inform me about the reality. I learned from the press that he had begun shooting without me.”
News18 reports that she concluded by saying, “I am sure if I was from the industry, I wouldn’t have been bullied so much. But you have to stand up and fight.”
This adds further into the ‘Insider VS. Outsider’ debate in Bollywood following Sushant Singh Rajput’s untimely demise. What do you think of this entire scenario? Tell us!
Cover Image Source- Left