After being exposed to not-so sankari side of Alok Nath, by writer-producer Vinta Nanda and one crew member of Hum Saath Saath Hai, Bollywood actress Sandhya Mridul has opened up about her #MeToo moment and accused the actor for sexual harassment.
Actress Sandhya Mridul, who has done films such as Page 3, Angry Indian Goddesses and Socha Na Tha, has opened up about facing sexual harassment by Alok Nath.
In a detailed account shared with HuffPost India, Mridul shared the ordeal she faced while doing a telefilm with Alok. According to her, one night after an early pack up, the whole cast including Alok Nath and Reema Lagoo went out for a dinner. At dinner, he got progressively drunk and started insisting her to sit with him and said some things which made her very nervous and uncomfortable. Co-stars realised the scenario and helped her to get out of there. Next day, the actor forcibly tried to enter her hotel room and lunged at her. DoP of the telefilm who was present at reception helped Mridul to escape.
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Sandhya Mridul Shares The Account Of Dreadful Trauma That Alok Nath Made Her Face!
Actress further stated that even after such incident, Alok didn’t stop and made calls in her room, every night which traumatised her.
Here’s exactly what she posted:
“At the very start of my career, I was shooting a telefilm in Kodaikanal. I was the lead. And very excited. Alok Nath was my on-screen father and Reema Lagoo, my mother.
Alok Nath was very impressed with me and called me “God’s own child” and openly praised me every day. I was over the moon. I was a huge fan of this wonderful Babuji.. I felt so fortunate happy and confident.
Till one night after an early pack up. The cast went out for dinner. At dinner, he got progressively drunk and started insisting I sit with him and that I belonged to him and other stuff that I don’t clearly remember but it made me very nervous and uncomfortable. My co-star realised what was happening and got me out of there.
We went back to the hotel without dinner. It was late and I was back in my room and the costume dada came to my room to give me my clothes for the next day as I had a very early call time. Few minutes after he left, there was a knock on my door. I opened the door thinking it was him again .. it was an inebriated Alok Nath. I instinctively tried to shut the door but he pushed it and lunged at me, I stepped aside he went flying past me into the room .. I fell back toward the bathroom door, he lunged at me again screaming ‘I want you you’re mine’ .. I dodged again, he went into the bathroom and I think I latched the loo door and ran out of my room down the corridor into the lobby. Fortunately, my DoP was there making a call from the reception ..
He came back to my room what ensued was traumatic because a belligerent Alok Nath refused to leave.. kept screaming, shouting, threatening, abusing, trying to grab me.. but at some point we managed to make him leave. The hairdresser was called and made to sleep in my room. I was so shaken up!
In a few hours I had scenes with Bauji, in one I had to sit on his lap and cry. I still feel nauseous when i think of it.
It didn’t stop there .. every evening he would drink and every night calls were made to my room. I dreaded the ring.. I had to keep it off the hook most of the times. But then he would come calling. It was a catch 22 situation. I had the hairdresser moved in to my room permanently. I was a nervous wreck.”
Thanking co-stars and staff for protecting her, she quoted, “I’m grateful to my co-actors , my DOP & especially the late Reema lagoo for finally taking him on & protecting me like a mother from then on.”
Mridul Sandhya further offered support to Vinta Nanda for her courageous move and requested all the victims to raise voice against exploitation.
