Sharman Joshi Supports Rajkumar Hirani After Sexual Assault Allegations, Calls Him A Man Of Integrity

Actor Sharman Joshi on Monday said he stands by his 3 Idiots director Rajkumar Hirani, who has been accused of sexual assault by a woman. The actor has called the filmmaker a man of immense integrity, character, and honor.

Sharman tweeted: “Raju Sir is a man of immense integrity, character, honor, compassion, and truthfulness, all the virtues one would imagine are non-existent in people today, someone I am absolutely inspired by and have learned from and because of whom I believe I have gone onto being a better person. All I want to say, Sir is that this too shall pass.”

“I can imagine how demeaning it might be to even stand up for yourself in a situation such as this,” Sharman added with an ‘I Stand For Raju Hirani’ hashtag. According to a HuffPost India article on Sunday, the woman claimed that Hirani sexually abused her on more than one occasion over a six-month period between March and September 2018. The 56-year-old filmmaker has denied the allegation.

“I was completely shocked when these allegations were brought to my notice about two months back. I had suggested immediately that it is essential to take this matter to any committee or any legal body. “The complainant has chosen to go to the media instead. I want to very strongly state that this is a false malicious and mischievous story being spread with the sole intention of destroying my reputation,” Hirani said in a statement.

The development comes close on the heels of Hirani’s name been dropped from the new poster and trailer of “Ek Ladki Ko Dekha Toh Aisa Laga”, directed by Shelly Chopra.

A still from the film’s teaser, which released on 27 June, 2018, carried Hirani’s name as co-producer. Vidhu Vinod Chopra has not yet commented. Hirani’s is the latest name to be called out in India’s #MeToo storm, which has engulfed many a stalwart such as Nana Patekar, Alok Nath, Vikas Bahl, Sajid Khan, and former Union minister M J Akbar.