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EXCLUSIVE: Jennifer Mistry Bansiwal alleges Asit Modi told her ‘Sexy Lag Rahi Ho’, claims he's scared of Munmun Dutta
While exclusively speaking to Pinkvilla, Jennifer Mistry Bansiwal revealed incidents when Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah producer Asit Modi harassed her.
Trigger Warning: This article includes references to harassment.
Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah embroiled in huge controversy after actress Jennifer Mistry Bansiwal accused the show's producer of sexual harassment. While speaking to us, she revealed the incident due to which she accused producer Asit Modi of sexual harassment. She recalled her conflicts with the show's Operation Head, Sohail Ramani, in 2018, during which he verbally abused her over the phone. Feeling distressed, Jennifer had reached out to Modi for help.
Jennifer Mistry Bansiwal alleges Asit Modi of harassment
In an exclusive conversation with Pinkvilla, Jennifer Mistry Bansiwal recalled, "Asit ji ke pass gayi unse baat karne Sohail se related toh sab chod ke voh muje bol rahe hai ki 'Sexy lag rahi ho' (I went to Asit ji to discuss my issues with Sohail, and instead, he said to me, 'You look sexy')."
She recalled instances of verbal harassment from the producer in 2022 when she requested a letter from the production team for her visa to visit Switzerland.
Watch Jennifer Mistry Bansiwal's exclusive interview with Pinkvilla here-
Jennifer shared, "Unhone voh phone call mei muje bohot si chize boli. Baat kuch aur chal rahi hai (On that phone call, he said so many things during that call)." As she pleaded for the letter, she began to cry.
During the call, Asit Modi told Jennifer, "Tum kya roo rahi ho. Tum yaha hoti mai tumko hug karta. Mai chance leta. Tumko toh meri padi hi nahi hai (Why are you crying? If you were here, I would hug you. I would take a chance. You don’t care about me)."
Jennifer reveals Singapore incident
Jennifer recalled an incident from 2019 when they were shooting in Singapore. On March 8, 2019, while filming in Singapore, Asit Modi approached her and said, "Tum kya karti ho. Tumhari roommate toh bahar chali jaati hai roz. Aao room mei aake whiskey peete hai. Akele bore naho hoti ho? (What do you do? Your roommate goes out every day. Why don’t you come to my room and drink whiskey? You wouldn't get bored alone)."
She admitted that she had ignored these statements from him initially. She even said that he had made similar comments to Monika Bhadoria, even asked her, "Tumhare kitne boyfriends hai? (How many boyfriends do you have?)"
On the third day of their stay in Singapore, while at a coffee shop, the Taarak Mehta Ka Ooltah Chashmah producer came very close to her and said, "Tumhare hoat bade sexy hai. Aisa lagta hai pakad ke kiss karlu. (Your lips are very sexy. It makes me want to hold you and kiss you)."
Jennifer recalls confiding in her co-actors
Jennifer recounted that she froze upon hearing these words and felt terrified. She confided her feelings to her close friend, Mandar Chandwadkar, but broke down as she mentioned that he did not take a stand for her.
She also shared the incident with Gurucharan Singh Sodhi, who would intervene whenever he noticed that Modi was trying to sit close to Jennifer.
Is Asit Modi scared of Munmun Dutta?
Jennifer informed Munmun Dutta about what had happened in Singapore, and Munmun scolded Asit Modi. Jennifer said, "She is a strong woman."
She said, "Usne (Munmun) Asit ji ko chilaya ki 'Kya hai? Kyu usko satate ho? Voh kuch bolti nahi toh aise karte ho. Faltu kya bol rahe ho usko. Ye karunga voh karunga.' Voh thoda darte hai Munmun se. Voh shaant ho gaye fir hum Mumbai aa gaye (She called out Asit ji, saying, 'What is this? Why are you bothering her? Just because she doesn’t say anything doesn’t mean you can treat her this way. You’re making ridiculous comments.' He used to be scared of Munmun. He became calm after that and we returned to Mumbai)."
Jennifer expressed that the entire experience completely scared her. The actress took an exit from the sitcom in 2023.
Disclaimer: If you need support or know someone who is struggling with domestic violence or assault or abuse, please reach out to your nearest mental health specialist, NGO or speak to someone about it. There are several helplines available for the same.
