An internal complaints committee has reportedly given a clean chit to filmmaker Vikas Bahal in the sexual harassment case filed by one of the former employees of now dissolved Phantom Films during India’s own MeToo movement last year. Vikas has been cleared of all charges and his name will now appear in the next Hrithik Roshan-starrer release Super 30 as the film’s director. However, it’s an embarrassing gaffe by Arnab Goswami’s Republic TV that has left Twitterati in splits.
The news flash on Goswami’s channel read, “Clean SHIT for Vikas Bahl.” This unintended mistake evoked hilarious reactions from social media users. Defence analyst Abhijit Iyer-Mitra wrote, “So now news channels are giving “Clean SHIT”s to people!!! Excellent, maybe our resident biologist “Chintu Singh” aka Rip Van Winkle of Rashtrapati Bhavan @ARanganathan72 can explain this scientific breakthrough.”
So now news channels are giving “Clean SHIT”s to people!!! Excellent, maybe our resident biologist “Chintu Singh” aka Rip Van Winkle of Rashtrapati Bhavan @ARanganathan72 can explain this scientific breakthrough pic.twitter.com/m36r7I94I9
— Abhijit Iyer-Mitra (@Iyervval) June 1, 2019
One ‘concerned’ viewer of Republic TV wrote to the channel on Twitter, “Just wanted to let you guys know that you were running the headline on #VikasBahl as ‘Clean Shit given to Vikas Bahl’. Please correct it as soon as possible as it doesn’t reflect good on a channel like yours. Thanks for your attention!” Another user asked, “Is this a news ticker or an expression of utter disgust at an outcome?”
“Bwahahahaha. Media’s on a roll. After getting Bhutan’s PM’s picture wrong, now this. May be they are all overworked and not paid enough. Sadistic pleasures,” wrote another user.
A former employee of Phantom Films had sensationally 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 in the early hours of 5 May. After reaching the room, he allegedly pretended to pass out drunk on her bed, ‘only to awaken soon after and masturbate on her.’
Later, Kangana Ranaut, who acted in Queen directed by Bahl, said that she was aware of her former director’s addiction for sex. She had said that Bahl behaved inappropriately even with her during a trip to Goa. Kangana said that she had believed the former employee of Phantom Films when she was sexually attacked by Bahl but hoped that the movement will catch up. Saying that she had supported Bahl’s alleged victim, Kangana said that Bahl denied her a role in his next project, which was about a Gold medalist athlete from Haryana, because of her support to the woman.
Super 30, which was scheduled to be released this month, will hit cinemas on 26 July.