Shilpa Shinde, best known for playing Angoori Bhabi in the hit sitcom Bhabiji Ghar Par Hain, has been making headlines after she recently made a revelation about her long-running dispute with the show’s producer, Sanjay R. Kohli. During an appearance on comedians Bharti Singh and Haarsh Limbachiyaa’s YouTube channel, the actress claimed that a sexual harassment complaint she filed against Kohli in 2017 was fake and was instead linked to ongoing contractual disagreements. Her statement quickly sparked widespread reactions, drawing criticism from several quarters, including members of the entertainment industry, social organizations, and social media users.
Speaking on Bharti Singh and Haarsh Limbachiyaa’s show, Shilpa claimed that she had filed a sexual harassment complaint against producer Sanjay R. Kohli because she felt she had “no other option” amid an ongoing dispute. According to the actress, she was allegedly being pressured to sign a contract that would have restricted her from taking up work with other production houses. She said, “Nobody knows this, and I’m not afraid of telling the truth. Even today, I will say this because it is a big thing. I filed a sexual harassment case against my producer because I had no other option. Eventually, I got out of that situation because the matter was settled. I filed the case on that basis because the police directly tell you that if you want an FIR registered, you have to make serious allegations. Poor man, he ended up getting defamed because of it. Today, through this platform, I want to say that it was false. I am confessing this for the first time. After that, we reached a settlement and the payments that were due to me at the time, which we used to receive after three months, were cleared.”
Soon after the video went viral, faced backlash from industry colleagues. Pooja Bedi told Variety India, “Any woman who weaponises laws meant to protect victims, be it for revenge, personal gain, leverage, publicity or malice, is betraying the very cause those laws were created to serve. False accusations not only destroy innocent lives but also make it harder for genuine survivors to be believed. Such misuse of the law is unacceptable and must carry serious consequences.” Furthermore, Bedi emphasized that the misuse of laws designed to protect victims of sexual harassment can undermine the experiences of those who genuinely face such abuse. She noted that false allegations risk weakening public trust in legitimate complaints and may make it more difficult for survivors to come forward and seek justice.
Hina Khan also reacted to the ongoing controversy, but without naming Shilpa. She slammed her and wrote, “I usually never talk about anyone, I never comment or react on someone else’s business, I only and only speak up when it is about something sensitive, something that affects all of us as a society especially as women.. As someone who enjoys public light and has a position to speak up, I must do my bit. Yes, using your sex to malign someone’s image in order to Win during a conflict is absolutely shameful. And everyone is Absolutely Right to Call it out and demand Justice. I am shocked beyond words. But I want to talk about the “Real Victim” here. A respected Man with a wife, a daughter and many other women in his family.. A real hardworking producer with many iconic shows. Who went through such an ordeal. As admitted by the Female Actor, her allegations were not just baseless they were used to gain advantage, to win, to score, to claim, to settle without the utilisation of Law.” Hina further reminded everyone how the same producer had given another chance to Shilpa Shinde by marking her return to Bhabhi Ji Ghar Par Hai. “And even after that, the SAME producer gives the SAME show to the SAME person. Another LAUNCHPAD, another MOUTHPIECE, another RELEVANCE, another CHANCE to legitimise her Fake Claim of SEXUAL ASSAULT. What if the actor repeats it? After all the actor has been given the same show by the one she FALSELY ACCUSED. I am appalled,” she concluded.
Actor Karan Oberoi, who has previously spoken about facing a false sexual harassment allegation and spending months in jail, also reacted to Shilpa’s statement. He told Variety India, “A false case is more anti-women than anti-men! Because genuine victims suffer on account of it. One false case has the propensity to cast aspersions on a hundred genuine cases. When the film ‘Section 375’ released, I had organized a screening for falsely accused men. It was a very important step in the right direction. I saw so many men break down on seeing the film. There were a hundred such falsely accused men watching the film. They needed to know there are many thousands of lives being destroyed by this legal terrorism. Each one has a very tragic story to tell. These are the ones who have suffered and chose to continue the fight for other accused and damaged people. I am just trying to galvanize all of them and to make an impact so as to let the world know of the injustice. I want this kind of legalized terrorism to end with me. No one should be thrown into jail by any vindictive woman in the future.”
Bigg Boss fame Bebika Dhurve, on the other hand, came out in support of Shilpa. She commented on an Instagram post, “Indian TV sets and work spaces can be so traumatizing.. it really deteriorates a person mental and emotional peace.. keeps you financially so drained and broke… She is a brave strong soul to speak up about it… there is a reason I dont do TV shows anymore.. reality TV is actually the best thing that happened to me.”
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