Bollywood action director and father of actor Vicky Kaushal, Sham Kaushal, has issued a public apology after a woman, Nameeta Prakash, who worked with him as an assistant director, accused him of sexual harassment. Taking to Twitter, Sham said that he ‘unconditionally’ apologised to women, who had alleged sexual misconduct against him.
He wrote, “Ever since I have been working in this industry I have tried my best to be a good human being professionally & personally, never wishing to hurt or r=disrespect anyone. I have read the allegations made against me by some crew members. If I have unintentionally caused any hurt or anguish, I unconditionally apologise to the ladies, to the production houses & each & every member of the film fraternity.”
— Sham kaushal (@ShamKaushal) October 15, 2018
Nameeta Prakash, who has worked as an assistant director on films like Honeymoon Travels Pvt Ltd, Ab Tak Chappan and Monorama Six Feet Under, had alleged that during one of the outdoor shootings, Sham had invited her for drinks in his room. She had said that Sham allegedly showed her pornographic video.
She had written “Back in 2006 on an outdoor shoot, Sham Kaushal, the famous and award winning Bollywood stunt director decided that I should be going to his room after wrap to drink vodka, the sound of that was just so wrong that I lied to him & told him I don’t drink at all. He tried to insist, by saying that I didn’t know what I am missing out on and when I stuck my ground he picked up his phone and suddenly plugged it in-front of me with a porn MMS video clip on it.”
By Nameeta Parekh. About Shyam Kaushal, Bollywood stunt director. pic.twitter.com/b5bLeALFMF
— Mahima Kukreja ??✊? (@AGirlOfHerWords) October 14, 2018
Another woman, Ashi Dhingrra, who worked with Sham, too had alleged that the famous action director made sexual advances and harassed her when she did not reciprocate his advances.
Its my #metoo to @ShamKaushal for indirectly harassing me at work place.
@yasser_aks @anjujuneja @namabird7 @puneetpuneet please support and share ur thoughts on same.. pic.twitter.com/6J3p451RH9— Ashi Dhingrra (@AshaDhingra) October 14, 2018
Sham has worked with some of the biggest blockbusters in Bollywood including Dangal, starring Aamir Khan, Anurag Kashyap’s Gangs Of Wasseypur, Sanjay Leela Bhansali’s Padmaavat among others.