Actor Abhay Deol has expressed his support for singer Sona Mohapatra, who has been urging Sony Entertainment to oust MeToo accused judge Anu Malik from Indian Idol. Sona and fellow singers Shweta Pandit and Neha Bhasin called out Malik for sexual harassment last October when the #MeToo movement hit Bollywood.
Sona recently posted a clip of a story by mid-day, which was published shortly after the initial allegations, in which two anonymous survivors opened up about the exploitation they faced while working with Malik. In a note the singer exhorted Sony to “do the right thing” and ban Malik from the show. Abhay responded to this with a comment that read,
“Admire you very much, Sona! You have my support.”Abhay Deol, Actor
Sona thanked Abhay for his support by tweeting, “The first actor from our industry to extend support, @AbhayDeol. Has always been a man with a mind of his own and has made his own road to travel in. Walks his talk! Thank you & big love. Also thank you for being on the right side of history.”
Anu Malik stepped down from Indian Idol after the allegations surfaced in October last year. However, in May it was reported that he had been reinstated as a judge for season 11 of the reality show.
In her note, Sona emphasised that though several women had come forward with their #MeToo stories about Anu Malik, they have been ignored and accused of trying to seek publicity. She said that Sony was encouraging this sort of victim blaming by continuing to have Malik as a judge on the show. “Not one or two or three or four. Many women came forward with their India #MeToo stories. Were we all part of some secret conspiracy society or had anything to gain by calling out this one guy? You ignored all these women and their stories of sexual assault and predation Sony Pictures? This depravity is what you promote and encourage in a country where women already hold the shorter end of the stick in all all regards when you make Anu Malik a judge on your show,” she wrote.
Sona also slammed singer Hemaa Sardesai who, in a note shared on Instagram, questioned why those who have spoken out about Malik have been “silent for so many years”. She called him a “great artiste who respected true talent and who respectfully gave me songs on merit alone”, and suggested that the women were targeting Malik for publicity. She called her reasoning “sick” and “victim shaming”
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