The #MeToo movement had taken Indian by storm not too long ago with quite a few high-profile personalities in films, media and politics being outed as sexual predators.
Veteran filmmaker Subhash Ghai can, however, breathe easy as he will no longer figure in the rogues' gallery.
Model Kate Sharma had accused the veteran filmmaker, who has delivered hits like Karz (1980), Karma (1986) and Saudagar (1991), of misbehaving with her at a party at his house.
Sharma had lodged an official complaint at the DN Nagar police station in northwest Mumbai on 13 October. Less than two months later, the matter has been closed as the police reported that they could not find any evidence to substantiate the allegations.
Moreover, Sharma herself has withdrawn the complaint against Ghai citing her mother’s ill health. Sharma disclosed this on Instagram.
The model said her mother had been facing serious heart issues since the day she filed her complaint, more so because she was "fighting all alone", and said doctors had advised her to avoid all stress.
"As a single mother, she has been having a sinking feeling and depressing thoughts after this incident," she said. "Because of my family and my mother’s critical situation, I am withdrawing my complaint.”
Sharma also lashed out at those who felt she had been misusing the #MeToo movement.
"Don’t want anything from anyone, neither wanted to get into trauma and shock," she wrote. "Entire #MeToo campaign became fun and entertainment for India. I don’t want to be a part of fun. It was a courageous step, [but] people started calling me by the name ‘metoo’. No damn justice if I lose her because of all these depressing things. Focusing on my career and family is the only healing.”
Meanwhile, the police closed the matter after finding nothing incriminating against Ghai. The police report said Sharma perhaps filed the complaint to get a toe into the film industry, taking advantage of her birthday celebration with Ghai.
The report further noted that Sharma had posted her birthday pictures with Ghai on her social media pages, claiming that the director had offered to cast her in Aitraaz 2. According to the police report, an upset Ghai then stopped talking to Sharma, who then decided to level molestation charges against him.
In her complaint Sharma had said Ghai often wanted to meet her and had given her the hope of being cast in Aitraaz 2. The filmmaker allegedly called her often to his office and even arranged her birthday celebration at his place.
On 6 August, Kate Sharma alleged, the filmmaker asked her to massage his back in front of other guests. She did so, but alleged that Ghai then tried to molest her when she was in the restroom.