Aamir Khan recently rejoined alleged sexual harasser Subhash Kapoor’s ‘Mogul’, disregarding his previous stance of supporting the victims who started the #MeToo movement.
In an attempt to justify his behaviour, Khan claimed that it is unfair to deny Kapoor employment opportunities before a guilty verdict has been announced in the matter. He also revealed that he met with several women who had worked with Kapoor before reaching a decision.
Geetika Tyagi, who accused Kapoor, finds Khan’s change of heart strange, sharing with Mid-Day that she was never approached for her side of the story. “I had commended Kiran Rao and Aamir Khan [last year] because it gave hope to more women to speak up about their own stories. But I had never asked for it from them. Now that Subhash has been hired back, it’s not like someone [from their end] reached out to me. It would have been a fair game had they considered both sides of the story.”, she said, adding that, “I have never said that Subhash shouldn’t get work. But after I complained, I did not get work for a long time. The industry is patriarchal. Only women face the repercussions of complaining against sexual harassment, whether in the workplace or otherwise. They are ostracised when they complain. It’s a sensitive decision on Aamir’s part that Subhash shouldn’t be treated badly until proven guilty. But what about my livelihood that has stopped since 2014? Criminal cases take time [to be served justice] and that’s a reality.”
“Aamir re-hiring him doesn’t affect my case, which is subjudice. I did everything by the book — went to the cops, filed charges, went to the lawyers. I believe in my fight, the system and I have my evidence.” Tyagi had spoken up about the incident in 2012. She also confronted Kapoor and has video proof of him confessing to the crime. An FIR was filed in 2014, after which Kapoor was arrested and is now out on bail.
