New Delhi: 'Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah' actor Jennifer Mistry Bansiwal, who plays Mrs. Roshan Sodhi, in the show has accused producer Asit Modi, Project Head Sohail Ramani and executive producer Jatin Bajaj of alleged sexual harassment at the workplace. She had last shot for the show on March 7.
Jennifer Mistry Bansiwal confirmed the news to ETimes and said, “Yes, I’ve left the show. It is right that I shot my last episode of Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah on March 6 this year. I had to leave the sets as I was subjected to humiliation and insult at the hands of Mr Sohil Ramani and the other executive producer Jatin Bajaj."
When asked further as to what happened, she narrated the entire incident and said that despite asking for a half day in advance on her wedding anniversary and Holi (March 7), she was not given even a two hour off. When she retaliated and Project Head Sohail Ramani spoke to her rudely asking her to get out almost four times. Her car was also stopped.
She also said that the adjustments were made for the male actors and called the production an ‘extremely male-chauvinistic place.’
“They made adjustments for everyone except for me. I kept requesting them but they did not listen. They adjusted for all the male actors. It is an extremely male-chauvinistic place. That's when I retaliated and Sohail spoke to me rudely asking me to get out almost four times. Then the creative person Jatin tried to stop my car. All this is recorded in the CCTV footage,” she was quoted as sayng by ETimes.
On March 24 she got a notice stating that the production house is losing money since she has left the shoot.
“On April 4, I replied to them on whatsapp that I was subjected to sexual harassment, I sent a draft and they reverted to me saying I was trying to extort money from them. I decided that day, I want a public apology. I took the help of a lawyer. On April 8th, I sent a notice to Asit Modi, Sohil Ramani and Jatin Bajaj and also mailed and sent a registry to all the government authorities. I have not got any revert on the same but I am sure they must be looking into it and investigating the matter,” she told ETimes.
Jennifer also said that she didn’t say anything for this long because the show ‘”has given her everything” and she is grateful to it. She also said that every person on the show is ‘a bonded labourer.’
“There have been many incidents when Sohail deducted my half day's salary even after working for 15 years. I had informed them well in advance of a half day but they purposely called me at my logout time and when I protested they deducted my half-day money. When we complain to Asit Modi he refuses to interfere. There has been continuous mental and sexual harassment,” she told ETimes.
She also claimed that producer Asit Modi Asit Modi has made sexual advances towards her many times in the past and she ignored it because of fear of losing work.
'Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah' is the longest running sitcom on Indian television.