Filmmaker Hansal Mehta spoke up in support of actor Shilpa Shetty, who recently filed a defamation suit against media outlets. In the suit, Shilpa referred to the reporting about her husband Raj Kundra’s alleged involvement in the pornography case and accused media houses of 'doing false reporting and maligning her image'. Coming to her defence, Mehta has asked everyone to let the law take its due course.
“If you cannot stand up for her at least leave Shilpa Shetty alone and let the law decide? Allow her some dignity and privacy. It is unfortunate that people in public life ultimately are left to fend for themselves and are proclaimed guilty even before justice is meted out,” Hansal Mehta tweeted.
“This silence is a pattern. In good times everybody parties together. In bad times there is deafening silence. There is isolation. No matter what the ultimate truth the damage is already done,” he added.
He further talked about the ‘vilification’ of celebrities and the issue of privacy, “This vilification is a pattern. If the allegations are against a film person there is a rush to invade privacy, to pass sweeping judgement, to character-assassinate, to fill 'news' with trashy gossip - all at the cost of individuals and their dignity. This is the cost of silence.”
Hansal Mehta had also earlier defended Rhea Chakraborty, who was subject to negative public scrutiny after the death of her partner Sushant Singh Rajput. He’d tweeted, “Let her guilt/innocence be proved in a court of law for heaven’s sake. Last evening I met people with no remote connection to the film industry making sweeping statements and playing judge…”
The Court heard Shilpa Shetty’s plea on 30 July and granted interim relief against three of 29 respondents, namely, Capital TV, one Heena Kumawat, and the YouTube channel Shudh Manoranjan. However, the Court also noted that the order is not a ‘gag on media’, “No part of this shall be constructed as a gag on media The defendants other than those who've been asked to take down their articles will have to file an affidavit.”
The next hearing of the case is scheduled for 20 September.
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