Filmmakers Anurag Kashyap, Vikramaditya Motwane, Madhu Mantena and Vikas Bahl on Saturday decided to dissolve their production company Phantom Films. Some of the high profile films made by Phantom films are Kangana Ranaut’s Queen, Vicky Kaushal’s Masaan, Sonakshi Sinha and Ranveer Singh’s Lootera and Shahid Kapoor’s Udta Punjab.
The four noted filmmakers had formed the company in 2011 and their announcement to part ways with each other came amidst serious allegations of sexual misconduct against Vikas Bahl.
Taking to Twitter Kashyap wrote, “Phantom was a dream, a glorious one and all dreams come to an end . We did our best and we succeeded and we failed. But i know for sure we will come out of this stronger, wiser and will continue to pursue our dreams our own individual ways. We wish each other the best.”
Phantom was a dream, a glorious one and all dreams come to an end . We did our best and we succeeded and we failed. But i know for sure we will come out of this stronger, wiser and will continue to pursue our dreams our own individual ways. We wish each other the best.
— Anurag Kashyap (@anuragkashyap72) October 5, 2018
A report Huffpost India said that a crew member has alleged that she was sexually harassed by Bahl in 2015. The woman crew member said that in October 2015, Bahl insisted on dropping her to her hotel room on the early hours of 5 May. After reaching the room, he allegedly pretended to pass out drunk on the woman’s bed, ‘only to awaken soon after and masturbate on her.’
The report further added that the woman had barely recovered from an accident that had forced her use crutches when she encountered this traumatic experience. The unnamed victim of the sexual attack then reportedly approached Kashyap in October 2015 but no serious action was taken against Bahl as the two continued to work in Phantom Films.
The woman was later forced to quit the company amidst continuous harassment by Bahl. Kashyap has now regretted her decision to not act swiftly then. He told Huffpost, “Whatever happened was wrong. We didn’t handle it well, we failed. I cannot blame anyone but myself,” Kashyap said. He added, “But now we are determined to do better. We believe her completely. She has our undying support. What Bahl has done is horrifying. We are already on our path of course correction and will do everything in our capacity to fix it.”
Bahl, meanwhile, is preparing himself for the release of his next blockbuster starring Hrithik Roshan, Super 30.
The latest revelation on the rampant sexual harassment in Bollywood comes just days after actress Tanushree Dutta sensationally renewed her 10-year-old charge that she was sexually harassed by Nana Patekar and Vivek Agnihotri, both of whom recently slapped her with legal notice.
Social media platforms have explosed in the last few days with horrifying tales of sexual attack by powerful men in Indian journalism, who targeted the vulnerable female colleagues in their organisations.