Actor Elnaaz Norouzi on Friday, accused director Vipul Shah of sexually harassing her for three months, while auditioning her for a role in his latest film ‘Namaste England’.
Sharing the harrowing details of the harassment, Norouzi wrote in an article how Shah kept harassing her on the pretext of a possibility to cast her for a small role and kept harassing her. “He met me, and I was surprised that in the first (quick) meeting itself, he spoke as if we were going ahead with it (the offer). We just need to do a look-test, and sign papers,’ he said, making it (contract) sound like a formality.”
A few days later, Norouzi was auditioned by Shah and casting director Honey Trehan. “Vipul got back saying this isn’t what he wanted. I met him again in his office, and again he mentioned, “We will sign the papers over the next couple of days.” This time, when we were saying bye, he came on to me. It was too close for comfort. I didn’t get the right vibe. He gave a peck on my face,” Norouzi narrated.
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Norouzi says that she went through six auditions for the role. “..later I realised that this was his way of calling me to his office, over and over again, to get closer to me.”
The next time Norouzi went to Shah’s office, he tried to kiss her. “I backed off, said, “What are you doing? We are in your office!” I pushed him away, being affirmative; but careful enough not to come across as rude, because I really wanted the film.,” the Sacred Games actress wrote. Later, in another meeting, Shah tried to touch her inappropriately.
Norouzi said Shah got her to come to the shoot location for Namaste England in Patiala without ever signing her up for the film. He took another audition of her there but still did not tell her the story of the film. “He said, ‘Come to my room. I will make you hear the script.’ At this point, he touched my butt, and dragged me towards himself. I dodged him, went to my room, and sat there wondering if I should just give in.”
Two months later, Norouzi had won a role in Netflix series ‘Sacred Games’. When she informed about the same to Shah, he asked her to drop the offer. “He said that he would launch me in a big way. It was a girl-next-door part in Namaste England, and that he was clear he would not be able to cast me, as a result of Sacred Games, and that I should skip the offer, since they would make me do nude scenes,” Norouzi narrated.
She continued, “He kept asking me to skip (the Sacred Games offer). He still had not signed a contract with me for Namaste England. I was mentally tortured for three months. It was evident that if I slept with Vipul, I would get the part. Every time I went to his office, he tried (to hit) on me. He (would) inappropriately touch me, and (try to) kiss me.”
Norouzi never filed a complaint with the police, fearing that Shah would use his powerful status to create issues for her. “The police would (probably) laugh at me. Vipul is a stronger figure. I am a foreign national. They could create visa issues for me. I have had it hard enough here, already,” she said.
Indian women are coming forward and accusing men, including several famous Bollywood personalities, of sexual harassment under India’s #MeToo campaign. Vikas Bahl, Sajid Khan, Subhash Ghai, Kailash Kher, Rajat Kapoor and Alok Nath are among those who have been accused