Sajid Khan’s name has surfaced yet again, with the Indian model, Paula, accusing the Housefull director of sexually predatory behaviour. Taking to Instagram, the actor said that Sajid Khan tried to sexually exploit her when she was just 17, at the pretence of getting her a role in Housefull.
Sajid Khan spoke dirty and tried to touch her. He asked her to strip in front of him to get a role in Housefull, the model confessed Wednesday, in her Instagram post captioned: “Before democracy dies and there is no freedom of speech anymore I thought I should speak!”.
The model wrote that she wanted to share her ordeal back in 2018 when the MeToo movement had caught momentum and grave charges of MeToo had surfaced against Sajid Khan. In her long social media post, the model, however, said that she couldn’t dare to speak against the director back then because she was new to the industry and wanted to earn for her family. But now, that her family is not with her, she thought of opening up before it’s too late.
The post read: “When #MeToo movement started, a lot of people spoke about Sajid Khan but I did not dare to because like every other actor who has no godfather and had to earn for a family I kept quiet. Now I don’t have my parents with me. I’m earning for myself. I can dare to tell that I have been harassed by Sajid Khan at the age of 17 (sic).”
Paula added: “He spoke dirty to me. He tried to touch me. He even told me to strip in front of him just to get a role in his upcoming Housefull movie (sic).”
“God knows with how many girls he has done this. I am coming out now not for ant pity party. It’s just that I realised that had affected me so bad when I was a child and chose not to speak. But it’s high time no? These Bastards should be behind bars not only for casting couch but also for manipulating and for stealing away your dreams. But I did not stop!! But the wrong I did was not to speak about it!” said the model.
Sajid Khan- a repeat offender
Director Sajid Khan is not new to these accusations. In 2018, at least 3 women had come out and accused the Housefull director sexually harassing and preying on them. A freelance Bollywood journalist had taken to Twitter to narrate her ordeal.
In fact, ace tennis player, Mahesh Bhupati had also come forward to give his take on the sexual harassment allegations levelled against filmmaker Sajid Khan. In an interview, Bhupati had revealed that his actor wife Lara Dutta had complained to him that her co-star was being subjected to “rude, vulgar” behaviour on the sets of Housefull by director Sajid Khan.
Actor Akshay Kumar had also announced on Twitter then that he was cancelling the shooting for the movie Housefull 4 after sexual harassment allegations surfaced against director Sajid Khan. Sajid’s sister, Farah Khan, actor-director Farhan Akhtar, had then castigated the director for his conduct. Following the allegations, the director was in December 2018, suspended for one year by Indian Film & Television Directors’ Association (IFTDA).
