Mumbai: After singer Sona Mohapatra called music director Anu Malik a 'serial predator', singer Shweta Pandit, has accused the composer of sexually harassing her when she was a minor.
Taking to micro-blogging site Twitter, Shweta termed Anu Malik a 'pedophile and sexual predator'.''It has taken a lot in me to open up this wound again and speak up against this pedophile and sexual predator,'' she said.Shweta also thanked Sona for calling him out and urged others who have been exploited by him in the past, to speak up.
''Had to go back to my worst memory as a teenage girl today to write this and speak up - its now or never. This is my #MeToo and have to warn young girls about #AnuMalik & let you know your #TimesUp @IndiaMeToo Thank you @sonamohapatra for speaking up about him & supporting this,'' she said.
Recounting her ordeal, the 'Mohabbatein' fame singer said,''It was the year 2000 when I was launched as a lead singer with Mohabbatein and was trying to get other good songs to follow up with the success of that soundtrack and the outstanding welcome it gave me in the music industry. I got a call from Anu Malik's then manager (Mustafa) to come to #empire studio in Andheri in mid 2001. I was thrilled like any singer would be. I used to admire his music and practice his songs for hours and look upto him back then.''
''He was recording a group song with Sunidhi and Shaan for the film 'Awara Pagal Deewana', when my mother and I walked in the monitor room. He told me to wait in the small cabin inside where singers sang at Empire studio. It was just him and me there," she said.
''I sang it well so he said, 'I'll give you this song with Sunidhi and Shaan but first give me a kiss now'. He then smiled, what I'd recall the most evil grin I've seen. I went numb and pale in the face. I was only 15 years old then, still in school,'' she said.
''Can anyone even imagine what it felt that moment? It felt like someone had just stabbed me in my stomach. I referred to this man as 'Anu uncle' he knew my entire family for decades and knew us as a respected gharana of musicians,'' she said.Sona thanked Shweta for speaking up and calling out Anu Malik.
''Sending you love,big healing & strength @ShwetaPandit7 .That #AnuMalik did this to you as a child is something #India has to make note of.Thank U so much for being brave & bringing this out in the open.I know how difficult that is & the pressure to let 'bygones be bygones','' Sona said in a tweet.(UNI)