With the ongoing #MeToo movement, Sacred Games’ fame Elnaaz Norouzi has recently accused Namaste England director Vipul Amrutlal Shah for allegedly doing sexual misdeeds with her. In an interview with Mid-Day, Elnaaz revealed that Vipul tried to kiss her whenever she went to his office.
Apparently, as per Elnaaz, she was supposed to be the second female lead actress in Namaste England starring Arjun Kapoor and Parineeti Chopra. However, it didn’t happen. Elnaaz Norouzi’s former manager told Mid-Day the whole casting story. While elaborating the incident Elnaaz said, “When I asked Vipul, he said he wanted to conduct another audition. Basically, I went through six rounds of auditions for the film, and he made me feel like the planet’s worst actor. My confidence was shattered. I kept feeling like I was auditioning, and not cracking the part. It was only 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 we met at his office, he tried to kiss me. 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,” she added. While speaking about losing Namaste England, she said, “At that point, I took the offer to Vipul. 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. I was ready to let go of Sacred Games, when a friend of mine made me go back to Phantom, and ask them what my scenes were going to be like. I told Vipul that I had no (nude) scenes in Sacred Games and that I had read the script.”
“He kept asking me to skip (the 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,” she added.
Elnaaz could have taken this matter to police but she didn’t take it as she felt that police would not have helped her. “I didn’t take the matter to the police, because as a foreigner, I didn’t know enough about my rights. And I strongly believe in karma. I know this happens to women everywhere, not just in Bollywood. No one wants to jeopardise their jobs. 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. So I was scared,” Elnaaz said.
Vipul Shah yet to address these allegations.
