Director Luv Ranjan accused of sexual harassment by actress, denies allegation

Luv Ranjan, director of Pyaar Ka Punchnama (2011) and Sonu Ke Titu Ki Sweety (2018), has been accused of sexual harassment by an unnamed actress. In a quote to Mid-Day, a tabloid, the actress alleged that Luv Ranjan asked her to strip during a look test at producer Kumar Mangat's office.

In an interview with the tabloid, the actress said she was asked to strip when she attended the first-look test of the film, Pyaar Ka Punchnama, back in 2011. She added that the director was present and made her feel very uncomfortable before she left the audition.

Even when she was called back to the sets by the casting director for a workshop with the leads, Luv Ranjan allegedly continued to ask strangely personal questions, causing her to cry.

"'You need to draw from your experiences and when you can't, I need to know you so well, that I can help you,' said Luv," she told the paper. "He asked about my schooling and family, so I relaxed. Then he asked if I had a boyfriend, to which I said yes. Then he asked, 'Are you a virgin?' I was shocked. He said, 'Arrey, we can talk like this, we're adults'."

"Then he asked if I used condoms. The last straw was him asking if I masturbate. By then, I was scared and asked if I could leave."

The actress mentioned that the director later persisted in calling her to 'clear up the misunderstanding', but never really apologized.

However, director Luv Ranjan denied the allegation, saying, "It’s absurd. It’s so absurd that I don’t know what to say except that I deny it. I don’t know how to react to an anonymous allegation beyond this and am willing to face any legitimate enquiry."