#MeToo: Afsar Zaidi, Co-Founder of Exceed Entertainment That Manages Saif Ali Khan and Sonakshi Sinha, Accused of Sexual Harassment

After KWAN Entertainment's head Anirban Das Blah was asked to resign from hi post in the wake of the sexual harassment allegations against him, it's rival - Exceed entertainment is too under the scanner. According to mid-day co- founder of Exceed- Afsar Zaidi has been accused of sexual harassment by survivors who refuse to reveal their identity. The company is known to handle celebs like Saif Ali Khan and Sonakshi Sinha. Is KWAN Entertainment LYING about Anirban Das Blah Being Ousted From The Company?

Here goes the story of one of the survivors-  She joined Exceed in 2014 and explained how Afsar commented on her clothes every now and then. He asked other employees to dress up like her and it was kinda flattering in the start but later it started to creep her out. "He would make me stand in the middle of the office and ask everyone to dress like me. Initially, it was flattering, but after a point, it was systematic. On certain days, he would make comments like, 'Are we showing too much back today?' He would look me up and down," she said.

Her first horrible experience with the company was when they were on an international trip. "We cracked a big deal with a celebrity and a major TV channel, for a reality TV show. I travelled with the CEO and met Ajit Thakur on that trip. It was then that I gauged how Exceed functions. I was told that Ajit was an 'important client', and we had to 'keep him happy'. I tried to brush it off; I didn't want to upset my boss, it was my first job in this industry. Also, I respected my CEO and didn't know then what 'keeping him happy' really meant. But a few days later, I was asked to join them post shoot, for a few drinks at a popular street that housed multiple bars. I remember drinking a little, which agitated Ajit. Later, my boss took me aside and told me that Ajit wanted me to help him get women. I thought he was joking at first." Did Anirban Blah Fake His Suicide Attempt to Avoid #MeToo Charges? Twitterati Feels So.

"I was then asked to approach a few girls dancing at a distance and engage in conversation with them, eventually to convince them to join us for the night, with the hidden goal of Ajit taking them back to his hotel. When I timidly expressed that I wasn't comfortable doing it, I was told , 'Yeh sab karna padta hai.' I discreetly told the girls that they should go someplace else before the men approached them Ajit continued the 'after party' in my CEO's room where he repeatedly came onto me. I remember making an excuse to leave a little later, but I was followed to the beach by him where he got relentless. I made my unavailability clear at that moment, and went to my room."

Then this happened at an office part that was held a few months later...

"Afsar has a terrace next to his cabin where he was hosting the party. I was told that Hrithik Roshan, Bipasha Basu, and Shilpa Shetty were to eventually make an appearance with their respective managers. Afsar was physically grabbing people and pouring drinks down their throats. While I kept dodging him, at one point, he grabbed me from behind, put his hands on my breast and forced me to down a drink. He did this a few more times in the course of the evening. He was drunk by midnight. It was then that he came to me again and started rubbing his penis up against my back."

"There were 30 people around, yet they chose to turn a blind eye to what was happening in front of them. I froze and didn't know how to respond. I remember him saying, 'If you like it, push back harder.' That's when I pushed him with my elbow and angrily said, 'Is it hard enough for you?' He was so drunk that he didn't register my rage. Instead, he got turned on and invited me to his room for sex. I ran to a colleague for help, but he kept following me. I tried mustering the courage to talk to the HR person, when a few minutes later, another woman came screaming out of Afsar's cabin. She was hysterical and it turns out, she became his prey that night when I said no."

She also narrated an incident where she remembered Afsar taking advantage of another employee that evening. "She was three-four days old in the firm. I could tell immediately that he had tried something with her in his cabin. She was crying hysterically, 'I am not that kinda girl' after she ran out of his cabin. One of the employees helped her. She was then taken to a glass cubicle where the HR head joined them. The top officials, in their drunk state, held a meeting at 2 am in the presence of the girl and Afsar. It was evident that they were plotting a cover-up and were shielding Afsar. I wasn't present there but I heard that the HR manager was constantly s**t-shaming the girl, and Afsar was trying to deflect blame. After seeing this, I didn't see a point complaining about what happened to me."

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Oct 23, 2018 09:07 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).