Anu Malik had to step down as a judge on the singing reality show, Indian Idol, in 2018, after he was named in the #MeToo movement. According to reports, he will be soon seen back on TV.
Anu Malik
Anu Malik, who was accused of sexual harassment in the wake of the #MeToo movement, had stepped down as judge from the music reality show, Indian Idol, last year. Now, according to reports, he will be soon seen back on TV.
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As per a report in The Times Of India, Anu Malik will return to TV as a guest in the music reality show Superstar Singer. A source says, "He will make an appearance along with lyricist Sameer in an episode dedicated to the songs composed and written by them." Earlier, rumours were rife that the makers of Indian Idol had approached the composer to be a judge on season 11 of the show.
Singers Sona Mohapatra and Shweta Pandit were the first to out Malik. Pandit said she was 15 when she met him at an Andheri studio, where he demanded a kiss in return for a song with Shaan and Sunidhi Chauhan. After Pandit's tweet, the show producers and the channel took a stand against the harassment by asking Malik to step down as a judge. They cited examples of Sajid Khan and Subhash Kapoor, who had been ousted from their directorial ventures following sexual harassment allegations.
Also read: #MeToo: Two more women expose Anu Malik
When mid-day reached out to Malik, he called the allegations "false and per se defamatory". He said, "I want to give a detailed reply after ascertaining the correctness [of the account]." While the channel refused to give an official statement, a source from the show said that Malik has been told to not report on set and will not be shooting.
Also read: Anu Malik gets going again post #MeToo allegations
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