Gauahar & Bollywood actresses outraged by attacker’s claim

By Subhash K. Jha -

January 6, 2015 - 10:47 AM IST

Gauahar & Bollywood actresses outraged by attacker’s claim

The man Mohammad Akil Malik who slapped Gauahar Khan on the sets of a reality show claims she paid him to stage the slap. The allegation has understandably raised the hackles of Gauahar's female colleagues in the film industry.

Says Kriti Sanon, "I don't believe the man for even a second. No woman would stoop so low as to get herself humiliated in public for publicity. Gauahar comes across as way too strong-headed a woman to take such a drastic step for publicity. Not at the cost of her self-respect, please!"

Pooja Bedi reacts even more vehemently. "If she hired him there will be evidence of their communication and plans. If she didn't hire him then she should file an additional case for defamation. It is absurd the way people play around the images and dignity of celebrities. We are so easy to target. There should be special laws to protect public figures from such harassment."

Dia Mirza adds, "I can't believe any girl would ever stage her own outrage."

Expectantly, Gauahar Khan reacted with vehement indignation against the charge, "What this man is claiming is a clear attempt to get away from the heinous crime he committed. It's absolutely bogus and a very poorly staged and filmy story obviously recommended by people who believe that our law will let him get away with such baseless stories."

Gauahar stresses she doesn't know the man who slapped her. "I have never in my life met this man before I saw him charging at me. I don't want to give him the two seconds of fame he desperately wants by clarifying any of his rubbish claims. I trust the law fully and know I'll get justice for the trauma I have had to go through because of his desperate need to be famous at the cost of my pain and name. This is someone's life you're playing with... I have worked very hard to make a respectful (sic.) name and career and the media is giving this loser his two seconds of fame on the basis of his baseless claims, and that too at the cost of my name."

Gauahar stresses her own experience and credibility as opposed to the man's doubtful claims. "I have put in more than 10 years of hard work. I can prove every point made by him to be untrue with proof ... He attacked me, went to jail for it and came out only to prove even more strongly what a threat he is to normal living in India for girls, and also the weak status even the media gives to a girl who belongs to the film or TV world."

Significantly, Gauahar refuses to take on the man for his allegation of a staged slap. "This guy only deserves to face the law. He's a liar and so shall be proved in the court of law."

Amidst this flurry of a feminist furore only the pragmatic Pooja Bhatt sounds a word of caution when she says, "I never saw the footage where the man actually slaps her. Has anybody seen this footage? Unless I see footage of him slapping her, I can't comment."

Would the channel Star Plus like to answer why there is no footage of Gauahar being slapped? Only of her reacting to the slap?