As Sajid Khan continues to receive flak for his participation in 'Bigg Boss 16', the Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) has written a letter to the minister of information and broadcasting, Anurag Thakur in support of the filmmaker, urging that he has a right to earn his living, and has been through a lot of humiliation already.
The letter comes after Delhi Commission for Women chief Swati Maliwal also wrote one to Thakur seeking the ouster of Khan from the reality show over allegations of sexual harassment levelled against him by several women during the MeToo movement.
Sajid Khan was suspended for a year by the Indian Film and Television Directors' Association (IFTDA) in 2018. He also stepped down as director of ‘Housefull 4’ and was replaced by Farhad Samji.
FWICE wrote in the letter. "Sajid Khan had co-operated with the IFTDA and FWICE and obeyed the decision of the POSH Committee. FWICE was satisfied with his behaviour during the period of his Ban and after the completion of the one year of this punishment, the BAN on Shri Sajid Khan was lifted by the FWICE on 14.03.2019. Sajid Khan has now entered into the BIGG BOSS to earn his living."
"He has also gone through the tough trials of the POSH committee and a lot of humiliation during those trying days in social media and other public platforms. A person who has already suffered his punishment and obeyed the decision of the IFTDA and the FWICE cannot be again tried and punished for the same offence. He has all the right to survive and earn his living and hence he has joined the Bigg Boss show. It is therefore requested to you to kindly please allow Sajid Khan to work for the show Bigg Boss and do not initiate any action against him as per the appeal submitted by the Delhi Commission of Women," the letter added.
During the 'Bigg Boss 16' premiere, Sajid spoke about how his work suffered after the allegations.
He had said right before entering the house: "I did not have much work, have been at home for the past four years. So, when the Colors team called me up, I decided I should come here and maybe learn something about myself."
He added that he has seen "many ups and downs" in his life and "been very low in past four years."
