#MeToo: Sandhya Mridul backs Vinta Nanda, shares her ordeal with Alok Nath

New Delhi: Bollywood actor Sandhya Mridul has opened up about facing rowdy behaviour at the hands of Alok Nath, who was also recently accused of rape by writer-producer Vinta Nanda. The 'Page 3' actor took to Twitter and shared a long post giving out details on how Nath tried to force himself on her during the shoot for a telefilm in the beginning of her career. She captioned the post, "In truth & solidarity. I'm with you @vintananda #metoo" She voiced her support for Vinta Nanda in her post which read, "I will never forgive you (Alok Nath) for what you did with Vinta. Whom I have always love and respected. I stand by you Vinta, what I went through is nothing compared to you. I'm sorry. More power to you, to all of us." She began her post by saying, "At the very start of my career, I was shooting a telefilm in Kodaikanal. I was the lead. And very excited. Alok Nath was my on-screen father and Reema Lagoo my mother." She further detailed how Nath praised her profusely, however his behavior soon starting to make Sandhya feel uncomfortable. "Alok Nath was very impressed with me and called me "God's own child" and openly praised me every day. I was over the moon. I was a huge fan of this wonderful Babuji.. I felt so fortunate happy and confident. Till one night after an early pack up. The cast went out for dinner. At dinner he got progressively drunk and started insisting I sit with him and that I belonged to him and other stuff that I don't clearly remember but it made me very nervous and uncomfortable. My co-star realised what was happening and got me out of there." The actor further shared what happened when they returned to the hotel, "We went back to the hotel without dinner. It was late and I was back in my room and the costume dada came to my room to give me my clothes for the next day as I had a very early call time. In the post Sandhya details how Nath tried to enter her room at a hotel where the cast and crew were lodged. "Few minutes after he left there was a knock on my door I opened the door thinking it was him again .. it was an inebriated Alok Nath I instinctively tried to shut the door but he pushed it and lunged at me, I stepped aside he went flying past me into the room .. I fell back toward the bathroom door he lunged at me again screaming I want you you're mine .. I dodged again he went into the bathroom and I think I latched the loo door and ran out of my room down the corridor into the lobby. Fortunately, my DoP was there making a call from the reception .."

In truth & solidarity. I’m with you @vintananda #metoo pic.twitter.com/ZoiT2dT3yL

— Sandhya Mridul (@sandymridul) October 10, 2018

She explained how after that incident, Nath continued to threaten her, "It didn't stop there .. every evening he would drink and every night calls were made to my room. I dreaded the ring.. I had to keep it off the hook most of the times. But then he would come calling. It was a catch 22 situation. I had the hairdresser moved in to my room permanently. I was a nervous wreck." After Vinta Nanda, Hum Saath Saath Hain crew member accuses Alok Nath of sexual harassment Sandhya also gave credit to Tanushree Dutta, who, in a way, started the #MeToo movement in India. "What Tanushree has started is admirable. I'm happy now women can speak go on social media. So there's that platform. And it's pretty powerful. I believe," wrote the actor. The #MeToo movement gained momentum in India after Tanushree Dutta spoke up against Nana Patekar almost two weeks ago. Recently, a lot of such cases have come to the fore, with big names like Vikas Bahl and Rajat Kapoor being accused of harassement by women. Vinta Nanda REACTS to Alok Nath’s comment “it was probably someone else”on her Rape Allegation! Bollywood celebrities like Mahesh Bhatt, Tappsee Pannu, Pooja Bhatt, Sonam Kapoor, and Sonakshi Sinha among several others, had earlier spoken in support of the movement. (ANI)