On 28th February, Bollywood actress Kangana Ranaut testified in a defamation case filed against her by noted lyricist and scriptwriter Javed Akhtar. During her testimony, Kangana Ranaut addressed allegations of harassment within the film industry, shedding light on her personal experiences and the broader issue of mistreatment in Bollywood.
Mumbai, Maharashtra: On February 28th, actress Kangana Ranaut provided her testimony in a defamation lawsuit initiated by renowned Bollywood lyricist Javed Akhtar. The case, which unfolded in the Andheri Magistrate Court, initiated from a televised interview given by Ranaut following the tragic death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput in 2020, which Akhtar alleges was defamatory.
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During her testimony, Ranaut said that, an incident from 2016 involving a heated exchange with Akhtar, who had allegedly pressured her to apologize to actor Hrithik Roshan. She described feeling threatened and depressed following the confrontation. The actress also shared her experiences of bullying and harassment within the film industry, drawing parallels between her struggles and those faced by Rajput, highlighting their shared backgrounds as outsiders from North India and members of the Rajput community.
Section 499 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC)
Whoever, by words either spoken or intended to be read, or by signs or by visible representations, makes or publishes any imputation concerning any person intending to harm, or knowing or having reason to believe that such imputation will harm, the reputation of such person, is said, except in the cases hereinafter excepted, to defame that person.
Explanation 1.—It may amount to defamation to impute anything to a deceased person if the imputation would harm the reputation of that person if living and is intended to be hurtful to the feelings of his family or other near relatives.
Explanation 2.—It may amount to defamation to make an imputation concerning a company, an association, or a collection of persons as such.
Explanation 3.—An imputation in the form of an alternative or expressed ironically may amount to defamation.
Explanation 4.—No imputation is said to harm a person’s reputation, unless that imputation, directly or indirectly, in the estimation of others, lowers the moral or intellectual character of that person, or lowers the character of that person in respect of his caste or of his calling, or lowers the credit of that person, or causes it to be believed that the body of that person is in a lothsome state, or in a state generally considered disgraceful.
Section 500 in The Indian Penal Code, 1860
500. Punishment for defamation.
Whoever defames another shall be punished with simple imprisonment for a term that may extend to two years, with a fine, or with both.
Ranaut’s statement touched on the broader issue of industry outsiders facing discrimination and harassment, a topic that has gained significant attention following Rajput’s death. She expressed how the incident led her to contemplate suicide, severe impact of such treatment.
The actress clarified that her mention of Akhtar in the controversial interview was not premeditated but occurred spontaneously. She emphasized her reluctance to target individuals who had wronged her, reflecting on her nature to defend rather than procced with legal action.
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The court has scheduled a cross-examination for Ranaut by Akhtar’s legal representative, Jay Bharadwaj, in the upcoming March session. This follows her initial statement recording and a counter-complaint she filed against Akhtar in 2021, which is currently on hold due to Akhtar’s appeal in the Dindoshi Sessions Court.
