Following allegations of sexual misconduct, Anirban Das Blah, founder of talent management company KWAN, has stepped down from his post.
The company has issued a statement saying Blah has resigned from all his responsibilities and designations at KWAN. It also reads that 10 partners have taken over his entire stake in the company to ensure his exit.
The latest accusation has been levelled against Anirban Blah by aspiring actor Meira Omar.
"He contacted me and asked about the meeting with the team. I told him the truth and he replied to me saying, 'Listen, my team is very basic. They only go for girls who are in the top league today. They don't know how to spot a star in the making. I am the one who creates stars and sees something, when no one else can. This is what I'm known for...He asked me to come over to his work space, as meeting in a public space would give people the wrong idea. He specifically mentioned that he didn't want tabloids writing about it...Everything he said that night was about how he is a man who can get girls to come out of their shell, bring out their inner sexiness and awaken other desires in men.
"He stressed that all this makes one a star. He even went ahead and told me about a specific case where a a girl reached out to him and she was gorgeous, but too timid and shy. So he locked her in his balcony in that same Juhu apartment, where we were sitting and forced her to masturbate,” Omar told The Times of India.
She alleged that Blah tried to forcibly kiss her.
Former clients and aspirants have come out with allegations of sexual misconduct against Blah, who was behind one of the most renowned celebrity management companies. Four survivors spoke to Mid Day about their ordeals.
KWAN released a statement within a few hours after the allegations surfaced. Emphasising that they fully support the #MeToo movement, they announced that they have asked Anirban Blah to forthwith step aside from his duties, activities and responsibilities at KWAN, its subsidiaries and affiliates with immediate effect.
“He told me he wanted to introduce me to a top music label boss and producer. At that time, he was scouting for a fresh face for the sequel of a popular franchise. A few days later, he called me over to Taj Lands End for a meeting. When I reached the coffee shop, he gave me the number of his suite, stating that casting is done in bedrooms and not in public spaces. I blocked his number since then and am happy struggling for work every day,” said one of the survivors.
Another actor accused him of asking her if she would be willing ‘to be part of an unnatural sex set-up’.
“He told me I have small breasts, and hence, won't have a long run in the Indian market," recounted another survivor calling him a unique predator.
While another model says that she was asked to strip down.
An alleged KWAN employee’s account is doing the rounds on social media. The forward elaborates on how the employees at KWAN were reportedly forced to keep quiet about the entire issue and that his services in actuality are not terminated. It also questions the silence of the stars like Deepika Padukone, managed by the talent management company.
The Bollywood bigwigs against whom allegations have been levelled in India’s #MeToo movement include Subhash Ghai, Sajid Khan, Nana Patekar, Ashish Patil and Mukesh Chhabra amongst others.
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