The feisty, talented Kubbra Sait, who made a big impact with her role as the doomed transgender Cuckoo in the Netflix series "Sacred Games", has come out in open support of Nawazuddin Siddiqui after actress Niharika Singh accused him of sexually inappropriate behaviour.
Kubbra says she is being hounded and trolled for her stance.
"But I don't care about those who want me to say what they want to hear. Why should I not stand by Nawaz just because he is a man? Do men always have to be in the wrong? It may be the politically correct thing to demolish the reputation of a man accused by a woman. But where is the proof?
"You can't rant against someone and be taken seriously. If she (Niharika Singh) said Nawaz was a bad actor, there would be his body of work to disprove her. But how does one prove a man's guilt or non-guilt when a woman accuses him of sexual misconduct?"
Kubbra sees Niharika's outburst as a personal relationship gone wrong.
"You can't pull a relationship out of its personal space for your own purpose. There is a man's reputation involved. I read her comments 7-8 times. But they sound like she is venting her own frustrations and rage against someone who has overcome his own struggles to become successful.
"It is being said that the #MeToo movement can succeed if some important influential names are called out. We can't just pull up anyone's name and fling it in the mud. Comments such as hers are derailing the #MeToo movement."
Kubbra says she stands by Nawazuddin.
"I don't know him personally beyond the work we did together in 'Sacred Games'. He is not a friend. I don't know him socially at all. But I've seen how courteous and soft-spoken he is with his co-stars. He has worked hard to get where he is. Please do not use a successful man's reputation to vent your frustrations."
For those cynics who are saying Kubbra is safeguarding her own interests by defending Nawazuddin, here is a slap.
"I am not in the second season of 'Sacred Games'. For those who think I am defending him to save 'Sacred Games' and my own role in it, I've news. The second season has started shooting. And I am not in it. My role is over. This is not about self-interest. It is to safeguard the #MeToo movement from being derailed."
Kubbra says every individual needs to stand by his or her decisions.
"I've made many mistakes in my life and career. I've been in relationships that I've regretted. And I've done a web series in the past which makes me cringe. But at that point of time I needed any work that came my way. If you make wrong decisions in life, it isn't right to blame them on others, specially if they are far more successful than you. Such accusations and allegations look like vendetta."