Filmmaker Anurag Kashyap's ex-wife, Kalki Koechlin spoke in his defence after he was accused of sexual misconduct by an actor named Payal Ghosh. Kalki, in her social media statement hailed Anurag as a champion of women, both on the screen and in real life. They were married from 2011 to 2015.
"Trolls toh troll karenge," Kalki wrote in her tweet.
In her statement, she said, "Dear Anurag, do not let this social media circus get to you. You have fought for the freedom of women in your scripts. You have defended their integrity in your professional space as well as in your personal life. I have been witness to it as in the personal and professional space you have always seen me as your equal, you have stood up for my integrity even after our divorce and you have supported me when I felt unsafe in a work environment even before we got together. This strange time, where everyone gets to abuse one another and make false claims without any repercussions, is a dangerous and repulsive one. It is destroying families, friends and countries. But there is a place of dignity that exists beyond this virtual blood bath, a place of paying attention to the needs of those around you, a place of being kind even when no one is looking and I know you are very familiar with that place."
Payal Ghosh, in a tweet tagging Prime Minister Narendra Modi, had accused the filmmaker of forcing himself upon her.
Anurag's lawyer issued a statement denying the allegations. The statement read: 'My client, Anurag Kashyap, has been deeply pained by the false allegations of sexual misconduct that have recently surfaced against him. These allegations are completely false, malicious and dishonest. Fictitious allegations of this nature seriously undermine the movement and seek to unconscionably trade upon the pain and trauma of actual victims of sexual harassment and abuse."