Updated On: 16 October, 2018 08:33 AM IST | Mumbai | Mohar Basu
mid-day exclusive: Aspirants speak out about Anirban Blah of Kwan and the sexual harassment he subjected them to while discussing their careers

Anirban Das Blah
The #MeToo movement continues to take Bollywood by storm, with more and more celebrities being called out for their predatory behaviour. In a new set of revelations, four women, who wish to remain anonymous, have come forward to level charges of sexual harassment against Anirban Das Blah, the founder of Kwan Entertainment, one of the biggest celebrity management companies.
Survivor 1
A model, who hails from a family of theatre actors and was hoping to foray into Bollywood, approached Blah last year with her portfolio. While the talent manager expressed interest in handling her film career, things spiralled downwards when he arranged a meeting with her at his Khar house. She recalls, "When I went there, I realised his wife and kids were out of town. We sat down to discuss my background and a possible career in films, when he said, 'Waise toh tum hot ho. Why don't you strip down and show me your body? I think you could be considered for sexy parts.' I brushed aside his remark, saying, 'You have a B-grade producer's mentality. Do you consider only a woman stripping sexy? I think a woman in a pair of jeans and top could also be sexy.' I was in awe of Konkona's [Sen Sharma] work and wanted to created a similar niche. I made it clear that his views of my career trajectory did not match mine. Towards the end of the meeting, he smugly said, 'You are way too independent and headstrong to be an actress.' He pulled me into a sudden hug and tried to kiss me. I immediately turned my face around, so he planted a peck on my cheek. I pushed him away and was out of his flat in a minute. After this incident, he reached out to me a few times but I never responded." Ask her why she didn't report Blah to the police and she says, "I would be asked, 'Why did you go over to his place?' If the internal sexual harassment committee had to act on it, they would have acted by now. His stories are an open secret."