Bahl's controversy: Deeply sorry for not handling matter properly, says Anurag Kashyap

Film director Anurag Kashyap recently issued a statement over sexual harassment allegation levelled against 'Queen' director and co-owner of now dissolved Phantom Films, Vikas Bahl, and stated that he was deeply sorry for not handling the incident properly at the required time.

Bahl has been accused of sexually harassing a woman who used to work as a crew member with him in Phantom Films.

Clarifying his stance in the matter, Kashyap said: "While at Phantom, I did everything I could, within what I was told by my partner and his lawyers. For legal and financial decisions, I was fully dependent on my partner and his team. They took care of those things so I could focus on what I did better, creatives. His word and his team's word on any matter used to be the final word for us."

He also said how he was ill-advised about the whole matter, "According to legal advice provided to me then, I was told that we had very limited options. Now in hindsight and after taking stock of things myself, I can quite see how I was ill-advised."

The statement that was posted on Twitter, further read that they took a strong stand against Bahl by barring him from the office premises and taking away his signing authority.

He also disclosed that the woman did not inform about the incident to him for a very long time. "What makes it worse personally for me is that the victim did not share the incident with me for a long time because she saw me dealing with my depression," he added.

The Phantom Films which produced movies like 'Queen', 'Udta Punjab', 'NH10' and many more, dissolved on October 5. Kashyap and other members - Vikramaditya Motwane, Madhu Mantena and Vikas Bahl of the production house tweeted about the decision without citing any reason for it.

Recently, a woman came forward and narrated her horrifying experience with Vikas Bahl, in a series of interviews with a publication. The alleged sexual harassment incident took place in 2015, during a promotional tour for a movie 'Bombay Velvet'. The woman also tried reaching out to Kashyap to speak about the incident. However, she said nothing came out of it and the issue wasn't taken seriously till two years later.

Here is the full statement:

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