Arshad Warsi, Boney Kapoor, Dia Mirza react to sexual misconduct allegations against Rajkumar Hirani

By Gurpreet Kaur

on January 15, 2019

In a rather shocking news, filmmaker Rajkumar Hirani was recently accused of sexual assault by a woman who worked with him in his 2018 film Sanju. According to a HuffPost India, the woman claimed that Hirani sexually abused her on more than one occasion over a six-month period between March and September 2018. However, Rajkumar denied the allegations and a statement issued by his lawyer Anand Desai dubbed them as "false", "mischievous", "scandalous", "motivated" and "defamatory".

Now amidst the fiasco, Bollywood celebs have reacted to MeToo allegations against the renowned filmmaker. While some expressed their shock, others stated that Rajkumar cannot do something like that. Take a look at what B-town celebs have to say:

Dia Mirza

Dia, who has worked with the filmmaker's Lage Raho Munna Bhai and was also a part of Sanju, told a leading news agency that she is deeply distressed by the news. "As someone who has known and respects Raju Sir for 15 years I can only hope that a due official enquiry is conducted. He is one of the most decent human beings I have ever worked with and I think it would be grossly unjust on my part to speak on this as I do not know the details," she added.

Arshad Warsi

Arshad, who was seen in Rajkumar's films like Munna Bhai M.B.B.S. and Lage Raho Munna Bhai, claimed that he was shocked to hear the allegations as the filmmaker is a thorough gentleman. "If you talk to me about Raju Hirani as a person, as a personality and how he is, I think he is a wonderful person and a thorough gentleman. So, for me, it’s a shocker as it is for everybody else who has heard this news," he added.

Boney Kapoor

The producer told a news agency that he is shocked after hearing the accusation. Completely defending him, he stated, "Rajkumar Hirani is too good a man to do something like this. I don’t believe this allegation. He can never do something like this."

Sharman Joshi

The actor, who collaborated with the filmmaker in 3 Idiots, hoped that the phase the director is going through currently will pass and the truth will come out eventually. “All I want to say is that this too shall pass and I can imagine how demeaning it might be to even stand up for yourself in a situation such as this," the actor maintained.

Vinta Nanda

The former writer-producer, who sent shock waves in the industry by accusing Alok Nath of rape, recently questioned in her tweet, "Who is it that women can trust?" Although she did not take names, she was clearly hinting at allegations against Rajkumar Hirani.

Amardeep Jha

Amardeep, who was seen playing Sharman Joshi’s mother in 3 Idiots and Anushka Sharma’s mother in PK, recently told a an entertainment portal, "I’m shocked. I cannot even believe this. He was a man whom I used to look up to. On the sets, he used to be like a walking angel. After hearing the news, I have lost my mental peace. This is something that will be running in my head for so long."