In a recent revelation, actress Shilpa Shinde shared a harrowing account of sexual assault by a prominent Hindi filmmaker during the early stages of her career. The former Bigg Boss winner, known for her role in Bhabi Ji Ghar Par Hai!, opened up about the traumatic incident in an exclusive conversation with News18 Showsha.

The incident, which reportedly occurred around 1998-1999, involved the actress being asked to perform an inappropriate scene under the guise of an audition. Shilpa recounted, “They told me, ‘Aap yeh kapde pehno aur yeh scene karo’ (wear these clothes and do this scene). I didn’t wear those clothes. In the scene, he told me he was my boss, and I had to seduce him. I was very innocent then, so I did the scene.”

However, the situation soon escalated as the filmmaker allegedly tried to force himself on her. “That person tried to force himself on me, and I got so scared. I pushed him away and ran out,” Shilpa shared, adding that security staff encouraged her to leave quickly, fearing she might report the incident.

While Shilpa did not name the producer involved, citing concerns for his children, she emphasized that the incident left a lasting impact. She revealed she met the filmmaker years later, but he did not recognize her and even offered her a role, which she declined.

Shilpa also highlighted that similar experiences are not uncommon in the industry. “These things happen to everyone. Some have run away like I did. We, as actors, have talked about it, and others have told me they’ve faced similar situations, even with well-known figures,” she said.

The actress concluded by reflecting on the issue of sexual harassment in the film industry, stating, “When people talk about sexual harassment, I strongly believe that yes, you may have been approached, but you also have the choice to say no. You can choose not to be part of it. This happens to everyone.”