In yet another MeToo incident, Snigdha Jain, a stand-up comedian and participant in a reality show named Comedy Project produced by Viacom 18 Media in association with Sterling Reserve Project, has alleged sexual harassment by the members of her production unit.
Snigdha Jain took to Twitter to share her ordeal and accused the senior supervising producer of Viacom18, Shelraj Patel and the creative director of the show, Nishchint Sohal of misbehaviour. In her post, Snigdha has also written a detailed account of turn of events where she was allegedly subjected to mental and physical harassment by the crew members of the show.
I want @viacom18 @ComedyCentral to know that I was sexually harassed on a show called #ComedyProject by @ProjectSterling and The perpetrators here are the Senior Supervising Producer @viacom18 Shelraj Patel & the Creative Director of the show, Nishchint Sohal #MeToo pic.twitter.com/M5iLpfFwpo
— Snigdha Jain (@Kue_ki_mainduck) November 6, 2019
She pens down two incidents which took place during a party, which was organised after the shooting of the show was over. Snigdha recalls how the occasion turned into an uncomfortable space of her, where she felt harassed emotionally and physically.
In the first instance, Snigdha claims that when the party had begun guests were making themselves comfortable and chatting with each other when the creative director of the show, Nishchint Sohal went up to her and casually sat on her lap. Jain writes that she became numb at that moment and tried to shrug off the exploitation, making herself believe that she might be over-reacting. But, one of Snigdha’s friend and co-contestant, Anny, took note of her awkwardness and asked Sohal to get up from her lap, in a manner which didn’t sound offensive.
After this incident, Snigdha said she was traumatized and wanted to leave the place as quickly as she could. She, along with her boyfriend were walking out of the door when she bumped into Shelraj Patel, the senior supervising producer of Viacom18, who she alleges, passed indecent comments and made obscene hand gestures at them.
She alleged that Patel asked her “Tum log sex karne jaa rahe hona? arre baad mein kar lena yaar” (asking whether the two were going to have sexual intercourse) while “using his hands to mimic his understanding of coitus in a perverted action”, alleged the aspiring comedian.
Ending her MeToo post, Snigdha Jain alleged that Patel kept repeating the inappropriate actions and lewd comments in a loop for over five minutes until Snigdha decided to leave the house.
I never thought I had the courage to report this but more than that I don’t think I can handle the trauma of working with them. I want to also let @viacom18 @ComedyCentralIn know that I won’t be able to make it to the finale shoot as long as they’re still on this project
— Snigdha Jain (@Kue_ki_mainduck) November 6, 2019
In her tweet, she urged Viacom18 and Comedy Central to take note of the sexual harassment she went through and take appropriate action against the alleged perpetrators. She has also via Twitter informed that she would not be able to make it to the final shoot as long as these men were associated with the project.
