Subhash Kapoor was all set to helm Aamir Khan-T Series’ production Mogul.
In the wake of the #MeToo movement in India, Aamir Khan, who was all set to produce Gulshan Kumar biopic Mogul, on Wednesday exited the project owing to an earlier sexual misconduct allegation against the film’s director Subhash Kapoor. The director has said since the case is subjudice, he will prove his innocence in court.
Kapoor, who has written and was supposed to direct the Gulshan Kumar biopic Mogul, was accused of molestation by actor Geetika Tyagi in 2014. She had filed a complaint against him, saying that he tried to rape her in 2012.
Indianexpress.com reached out to Subhash Kapoor and T-series Chairman and Managing Director Bhushan Kumar for their comment on the development.
Kapoor said, “I understand and respect Aamir Khan’s and Kiran Rao’s decision. Since matter is subjudice, I intend to prove my innocence in the court of law. But I do want to raise a question – is secretly filming a crying woman without her consent and knowledge and uploading it on social media not harassment or abuse? Or is it fine if she is related to someone who is “accused” of a misconduct. If your answer is latter then for me it’s nothing less than a khaap panchayat mentality.”
Kumar, on his part, said his company will not associate with Kapoor because of the allegation leveled against him.
“It is our foremost duty to make our industry safe for everyone, make an industry that creates environment of equality and a better place to work. With the on-going proceedings against the director that have been brought to our notice, everyone at T-Series has decided to not work with the director,” Bhushan Kumar said.
When asked if T-series will be able to get Aamir Khan on board now that Subhash Kapoor has been dropped from the film, Kumar said it was difficult to comment on it. “That I can’t comment now as u can understand from his tweet he has nothing against us but director.”
Geetika Tyagi on Tuesday tweeted to Jio MAMI Mumbai Film Festival, which has Aamir Khan’s wife Kiran Rao as one of its founders, asking if Kiran “remembers that her husband himself was working with #subhashkapoor who is being prosecuted for sexual assault and molestation.”
In the late hours of Wednesday, Aamir and filmmaker wife Kiran issued a statement that they would step away from a film as a collaborator on the project had been accused of sexual misconduct. The statement did not mention the project and the person’s name.