Luv Ranjan denies sexually harassing actor, apologises
Luv Ranjan Friday denied all allegations of sexual harassment against him, though he tendered an apology in case his actions hurt anyone. “I apologise to whoever I have caused hurt, whoever I have not made feel comfortable enough. I apologise for not being able to communicate my intent. I apologise for not being able to make someone feel that I am the man that I have aspired to be and I believe I am,”
Ranjan said in a statement issued here. In an interview with a daily, an anonymous actor had said when she was called for an audition for Pyaar Ka Punchnama, she was asked to strip down to her inner wear because Ranjan wanted to see how she would look in a bikini scene and he asked personal details about her love life. Though, she got the role but as things did not improve, she decided not to be a part of the film.
In a statement, Ranjan said it has probably been the longest day of his life. “Since the time I have read the allegations, I have been wanting to react to them. I have been wanting to shout out loud that everyone has gone mad, I have been wanting to scream that I am not this man, I have been wanting to clear my name,” he added. Ranjan said his friends and family have shown great support and that has made him indebted to them for life.
— Luv Ranjan (@luv_ranjan) October 12, 2018
“I am very aware of the fact I am the man who made Pyaar ka Punchnama and it becomes very easy for someone who doesn’t know me personally to believe that I am guilty. Am I guilty? I have been wanting to scream out loud that I am not. “I have never misbehaved with a woman, never touched a woman who isn’t in love with me and I with her, I haven’t sexted, flirted, molested or harassed a woman. I haven’t,” he said.
He said he can vouch for his intention but he can’t decide how someone should feel. “It doesn’t matter that I don’t accept the narrative, what matters is that someone feels hurt enough to present this narrative. I am not the man that I am being portrayed as. I am not. I never was, I never will be,” the director said.