Vidya Balan’s ‘Sherni’ had recently resumed shooting at Balaghat in Madhya Pradesh post the pandemic.
However, the shooting ran into some trouble as Gully Boy fame actor Vijay Raaz was arrested for allegedly molesting a female crew member.
The actor who was arrested from the five-star hotel on Tuesday morning, was granted bail the very same evening.
A ‘Sherni’ crew member revealed to Midday; what exactly happened that day in full view of the 30-member team of the film. Vijay Raaz had not ‘molested’ the female crew member but yanked her arm to get her attention, due to which she lost her temper.
“She was sitting when Vijay Raaz yanked her arm to call for her attention. She lost her temper as this is no way to behave with a female colleague at a workplace. That said, we can vouch that Vijay did not molest her.”
The Dhamaal actor had apologised for his action but the female crew member was inconsolable. The makers had then halted the shoot and the crew member filed a police complaint against Raaz.
“The director [Amit Masurkar] and the producers immediately stepped in to understand the situation and encouraged her to file an official complaint with the studio, Abundantia Entertainment. On his part, Vijay Raaz understood that his action was uncalled for and promptly apologised to her, but she was inconsolable.”
The complainant’s friend claimed this was the 4th time Vijay Raaz had been rude to her on the set.
“Harassment manifests in many forms, and this is also a kind of harassment. Why would a senior actor take the liberty to touch a woman on a set? I don’t know if he meant to behave badly or not, but he eventually did,” said the source.
An officer from Gondia’s Ramnagar police station told Midday, “Whenever the matter is up for hearing, Vijay Raaz will have to be present.”
The film’s shoot has reportedly been resumed and the unit has been instructed to complete shooting by the weekend. Vidya Balan’s portion of the shooting was reportedly completed on Monday itself.