Film body to send showcause notice to Alok Nath, promises Vinta Nanda support against alleged rapist

After writer-director-producer Vinta Nanda gave a detailed account of being raped and violated by an actor known as “the most #Sanskaari (Cultured) person in the film and television industry”, Twitter users came up with the name Alok Nath, though Nanda did not name him. She had also described the person as a lead actor in 90s TV show Tara. Nath came to be known as a “sankaari” person after he played several roles in Bollywood films as a virtuous man.

Following the furore on Twitter and Facebook seeking action against Alok Nath, Cine And TV Artistes’ Association (CINTAA) official actor Sushant Singh has tweeted to say that Nath would be sent a showcause notice asking him to explain why he should not be expelled from the film body. Singh has also urged Nanda to file a formal complaint and promised support.

Nanda’s post on Facebook – which she wrote on Monday evening – reveals shocking details of how she was allegedly raped, and how the lead actor of Tara used to harass the lead female actor on the sets repeatedly. In her account, Nanda wrote that the conduct of the lead actor (later named by various people on social media as Alok Nath) was so bad that the team directing the show decided to let him go. However, subsequently, the TV channel put pressure on Nanda and Tara went off air suddenly along with her other shows being cancelled.

Not only did she face this huge professional setback, she was subsequently raped in her own house by the person she did not name directly, she wrote in her account.

Nanda wrote that almost 20 years later “I’m totally fine now, healed and reunited with my own self again”, but “the only reason I’m telling this story now is because I don’t want that any girl should ever fear holding the truth back.”

In the last few lines of her account, Nanda wrote, “Irony is that the man, the predator in question here is the actor par excellence who is known as the most #Sanskaari (Cultured) person in the film and television industry.”