Vikas Bahl Files Rs 10 Crore Defamation Suit Against Anurag Kashyap And Vikramaditya Motwane in Bombay High Court

Vikas has sought interim direction from the court to silence Anurag and Vikramaditya.

Producer-director Vikas Bahl, who has been accused of sexual harassment by a former employee of production house Phantom Films in the wake of the #MeToo movement, has now filed a Rs 10 crore defamation suit against Anurag Kashyap and Vikramaditya Motwane at the Mumbai High Court. He has also sought interim direction from the court to restraint his former partners, at the production house, from making any further statements against him.

Hearing on Vikas’ plea for interim direction, which would prevent Anurag and Vikramaditya from talking against him, whether it be to the media or on social media platforms, was underway at the Bombay High Court on October 17. His suit, filed on Tuesday, alleged that Anurag and Vikramaditya made “defamatory, slanderous and baseless allegations” against him due to which he has suffered irreversible damage to his reputation.

Vikas labelled his former partners as opportunists, who allegedly orchestrated the whole campaign against him, making him look like the person responsible for the production house’s fall, reports PTI.

Phantom Films was established in 2011 by Anurag, Vikramaditya, Vikas and producer Madhu Mantena. The company’s productions include Lootera, Hasee Toh Phasee and the blockbuster Queen. Soon after Vikas was named by a former employee of Phantom Films amid the #MeToo campaign, Anurag and Vikramaditya dissolved the production house.

The unidentified woman employee alleged that Bahl sexually assaulted her in Goa during a promotional tour for the movie Bombay Velvet in 2015.

Vikas had earlier this month issued legal notices to Anurag and Vikramaditya threatening to file civil and criminal defamation cases if they did not withdraw their messages (on social media) and tender an unconditional apology.