Entertainment
Fight against sexual harassment at work is driven by movements like #MeToo and #Time'sUp on social media. Dozens of powerful men in the film industry, politics, entertainment and business have been fired or resigned in the face of allegations they abused their power. Now Pakistanis singer and actress Meena Shafi has made a shocking revelation and has revealed that she was sexually harassed by Ali Zafar on more than one occasion.
Updated : Apr 19, 2018, 06:40 PM IST
Fight against sexual harassment at work is driven by movements like #MeToo and #Time'sUp on social media. Dozens of powerful men in the film industry, politics, entertainment and business have been fired or resigned in the face of allegations they abused their power. Now Pakistanis singer and actress Meesha Shafi has made a shocking revelation that she was sexually harassed by Ali Zafar on more than one occasion.
Mother of two took to Twitter and wrote a long post stating that her conscience doesn't not allow her to be silent anymore. Meesha also wrote that she wants to break the 'culture of silence that permeates through our society'.
Meesha's statement reads, “I have been subjected, on more than one occasion, to sexual harassment of a physical nature at the hands of a colleague from my industry: Ali Zafar. These incidences did not happen when I was young, or just entering the industry. This happened to me despite the fact that I am an empowered, accomplished woman who is known for speaking her mind! This happened to me as a mother of two children.” Meesha Shafi who have featured on Coke Studio a numerous time before also wrote, “ It has been an extremely traumatic experience for me and my family. Ali is someone I have known for many years and someone who I have shared the stage with. I feel betrayed by his behaviour and his attitude and I know that I am not alone.”
Sharing this because I believe that by speaking out about my own experience of sexual harassment, I will break the culture of silence that permeates through our society. It is not easy to speak out.. but it is harder to stay silent. My conscience will not allow it anymore #MeToo pic.twitter.com/iwex7e1NLZ
— Meesha Shafi (@itsmeeshashafi) April 19, 2018
This is really shocking for Ali Zafar fans in India and Pakistan. The singer turned actor debuted in Bollywood with 'Tere Bin Laden' and went on to do films like 'Kill Dil' with Ranveer Singh and Parineeti Chopra, 'Mere Brother Ki Dulhan' with Katrina Kaif, London Paris New York with Aditi Rao Hydari and 'Dear Zindagi' with Alia Bhatt. On the other hand, Meesha has appeared in 'Bhaag Milkha Bhaag' in a small role.
There has been no reaction from Ali Zafar yet but social media is already buzzing with support for Meesha Shafi.