It looks like Netflix is likely to drop Sacred Games' protagonist Nawazuddin Siddiqui from the second season of their critically acclaimed original series Sacred Games post sexual harassment allegations levelled against him by former Miss India Niharika Singh.
If the report in Bollywood Hungama is to be believed, Nawazuddin might have to bid adieu to his role of Ganesh Gaitonde from Sacred Games 2. However, the series will continue to be made on the online streaming platform.
Saif Ali Khan recently kickstarted shoot for the second season of Sacred Games and it was reported that Netflix has cleared Sacred Games directors Anurag Kashyap and Vikramaditya Motwane and writer Varun Grover in the #MeToo scandal.
A few days ago, Kubbra Sait, who played Nawazuddin's girlfriend Cuckoo in Sacred Games, had extended her support to the actor and shunned Niharika's claims of sexual harassment against him. She called out Niharika on Twitter and slammed her for categorising her bitter relationship as a #MeToo statement.
Niharika, in her ordeal, described Nawazuddin as "aspirational, sexually repressed Indian man" and talked about how the actor allegedly tried to forcefully engage into sexual intimacy with her even after they got separated.
Meanwhile, Nawaz has reportedly suffered yet another blow after Niharika accused him of sexual misconduct. Phantom Films, which has been mired in controversy post sexual harassment allegations against Vikas Bahl, one of the co-founder of the production company, have indefinitely postponed the release of their upcoming film Ghoomketu, which stars Nawazuddin in the lead. The movie was scheduled to release on November 16.
However, an official confirmation from Netflix and Phantom Films is awaited on the matter.