'Nawazuddin tried to re-engage me sexually, begging me to be with him': Niharika Singh's #metoo experience (Throwback)

When we saw her in Miss Lovely, the audience immediately realised that she was not just a pretty face but a powerhouse-of-talent too. Niharika Singh made her presence marked and felt in the film, despite the overpowering presence of Nawazuddin Siddiqui. While everyone was hoping to see a lot more of the actress, a lot sooner; things didn't go as planned. Destiny had some other plans for the former beauty queen.

It was during the wave of #metoo movement gripping the country that Niharika too had come out and spoken about three of the biggest names of the industry – Bhushan Kumar, Nawazuddin Siddiqui and Sajid Khan. Out of the three, Niharika had revealed that after Nawaz's coercion, she gave up and was in a relationship with him for quite some time. She revealed that it was his lies and insecurity that finally made her drift apart from him.

What brought the two closer?

In her account, Niharika had revealed, "found him real, after all the superficial 'filmy' interactions I'd had in the past years." She also said that when one morning she invited him home for lunch, he grabbed her. "I tried to push him away, but he wouldn't let go.

After a little coercion, I finally gave in. I wasn't sure what to make of this relationship. He told me it was his dream to have a Miss India or an actress wife, just like Paresh Rawal and Manoj Bajpayee. I found his little confession funny but endearing...He often complained about how he was judged on his looks, skin colour and that he wasn't fluent in English. I tried to help him deal with his insecurities, but he was stuck in a state of victimisation."

'Sexually repressed Indian man'

She also called him a "sexually repressed Indian man whose toxic male entitlement grew with his success is hardly surprising. What is interesting to note that despite not identifying as a Hindu, he carries deep caste prejudices since he chose to protect the honour of his 'Brahmin' wife after their names came in CDR scam, while he felt very comfortable painting me as a seductress wearing faux fur in his book, who he could sexually exploit, for public imagination."