'TMKOC' ex-director backs actor Jennifer Mistry amidst sexual harassment soup
The controversies surrounding India's long-running sitcom Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah have no end in sight. Days after actor Jennifer Mistry Bansiwal quit TMKOC and accused producer/creator Asit Kumarr Modi of "sexual harassment," now, the show's ex-director Malav Rajda has come out in her support. To note, Bansiwal played the character of Mrs. Roshan Singh Sodhi for 15 years before calling it quits.
This is what the ex-director had to say about her
Rajda, while speaking to ETimes, described her as "happy-go-lucky," "jovial," and "friendly," and added that she had "never been abusive on sets." "She was someone who would sit together with all the actors, including males, and have lunch. It was not once or twice, it was a daily routine for her." He also rubbished the claims of her arriving late at work.
What did the team of 'TMKOC' earlier accuse her of?
Rajda's claims stand in contrast to the allegations leveled against Bansiwal by the show's team, who had called her "unprofessional" and said that her "contract had been terminated." "She regularly misbehaved on the show with the entire team. We had to terminate her contract because of her bad behavior and indiscipline during the shoot," said project heads Sohil Ramani and Jatin Bajaj.
These are the allegations she had leveled against Modi
Revealing the details of the alleged "sexual and verbal abuse" meted out to her, Bansiwal recalled an incident that took place in March 2019 in Singapore and said that Modi had called her inside his room, regularly passed uncomfortable, flirtatious remarks toward her, and even wanted to "kiss" her. His words left her "shivering," but she kept quiet since she needed the work.
Was the abuse sexual or verbal? Bansiwal has now clarified
Bansiwal recently spoke to ANI and said, "They have to accept that they have done wrong to me and will have to apologize with folded hands that 'We are sorry'. Because this is [about] my dignity and self-respect." "People are saying that Modi had physical relations with me...there is nothing like that. He just said verbal things to me," she added.
