News Tamil Nadu

“Dumbf**ks, What Was NCW Plucking?”: Mansoor Ali Khan Goes On A Rant, Defends His Rape Remarks, Attacks BJP And Expresses Support For Congress-DMK When Questioned

November 22, 2023
The Commune

Kollywood actor Mansoor Ali Khan’s derogatory statements aimed at Trisha met with significant backlash from the public and it also saw a few actors and members of the film industry voice their support for her condemning the crass remarks. 

Khusbhu, a BJP member and also a member of the NCW, voiced her support.

The NCW directed the TNDGP to book the actor for the remarks. 

Telugu star Chiranjeevi came out in support of Trisha on 21 November 2023.

The South Indian Artistes’ Association (SIAA), also known as Nadigar Sangam, vehemently denounced actor Mansoor Ali Khan on 19 November 2023 for his sexist remarks directed at Trisha. The association demanded a public apology from Khan, expressing strong disapproval of his disrespectful comments about Trisha and two other actresses at the press meeting. The actors’ body is contemplating the temporary suspension of Khan’s membership until he issues a formal apology. SIAA President, noted actor M Nasser, emphasised that Khan should extend his apology to the actresses in a public forum, considering the gravity of his remarks made in the presence of journalists.

Following this Khan called for a press meeting and here are some edited excerpts of the meeting.

He said, “Nadigar Sangam has made a very big mistake. They know I’m the senior-most member, such a video has come out (referring to the viral video of him making the crass rape remarks), they haven’t asked me anything about the video, they have not called me on the phone, they should ask me for an explanation by sending a notice. Can someone running a Sangam do this? I give the Nadigar Sangam 4 hours. What did they say in the press release yesterday? That I should bow down and apologise? What is this? Do I belong to a breed that apologises? Nadigar Sangam has made a Himalayan blunder. I have controlled myself. If I let go, then I will come down to stripping you of your loincloth, you will all run helter-skelter.” He says this while making hand gestures and expressions indicating that he is issuing a threat to them.

He adds, “What is the next programme? Kalaignar’s centenary programme. You will make the women dance like this and that and make me a scapegoat and get a good name for yourselves? I don’t blame the YouTube channels for discussing this news, but the Nadigar Sangam did not ask me for any explanation and asked me to apologise.”

He continued, “For the past few days, I have been treating my hand which was broken around 15 years ago. That girl.. what’s her name..Trisha said (mimics a female voice) ‘I hate acting with him. I will not share screen space with him for life’. All newspapers started using our photos side by side as if we were bride and groom. Couldn’t you all have used a better photo of mine?… All languages have given coverage, It has gone till Hollywood. In that sense, I’m happy about the publicity. But what Nadigar Sangam did was a Himalayan blunder. They should have done an inquiry first.”

He adds, “Now what is a rape scene in cinema? Does a rape scene in cinema mean raping for real? If someone kills in a movie, that too hero only does all this these days…are they murdering for real? Do dumb-f**ks with no brains think rape scene in cinema means doing the act for real? Shouldn’t you all have brains? Shouldn’t the Sangam have brains? Are people sitting there an epitome of discipline? Shouldn’t they have this basic sense? How do they film a rape scene in movies? Actress Meera Jasmine made her debut with me. I lift her and drop her on a bed with a thud. She got hurt, the assistant was called, and the clothing was uncovered, I covered it and apologised to her if my hand touched her by any means. She said there was nothing of that sort. I asked for a spray to be put on her hip injury, this is how it takes place, a rape scene in cinema. I leave it to you all to decide. I do not get scared of these antics. The whole of Tamil Nadu is on my side. Even if I know everything about artists, I am not the one to speak ill of them. Khushbu sister, S. Ve Shekhar in your BJP party said that women who go to work, get work only by sleeping with men, why don’t you arrest him? There is someone named Sharma in Sivagangai. What did he say about you? Why don’t you arrest him? It was a girl who first died for NEET named Anitha. If you have shame and honour, you too hang and die. Anitha was a girl only, right? What is the NCW plucking? Why did you bring NEET to my state? Did you all go to Manipur?”

He adds, “In 4 hours, the Nadigar Sangam should take back its press release and send me a notice and give me 21 days for reply. They should call me on my phone and intimate me. Nasser did not attend my calls. Am I a fool? Does Mansoor Ali Khan look like an abandoned corpse to you? I am warning you, if I get up, a deluge will come about. Tamil Nadu will stand by my side. I am not criticising Nadigar Sangam, this is the reaction to their actions.”

Talking about actor and politician Roja, he said, “Roja is someone who has acted with me, she’s a good girl, she has been forced to talk. I should be the one to file defamation on all these ladies.”

When a reporter asked whether he felt he spoke something wrong, he said, “How will I regret what I have spoken when I didn’t speak anything wrong?” The reporter continues to point out that had he spoken about a rape scene, it wouldn’t have become such an issue but since he mentioned Trisha, particularly in his statement, it was an issue. The actor “clarified” that he said that as a joke and that everyone mistook what he meant. He goes on to add, “You are a fan. What does a fan do? He keeps photos (of female celebrities) here (makes lewd gestures towards every region of the body).  An actor will be worshipped like that, it is ok. We are not people who demean artists like that.” When the reporter remained insistent on his stance, Mansoor added, “I didn’t mean anything personally. She (Trisha) should thank me at this juncture. What does Lokesh Kanagaraj know? They have been manipulated. After all this has settled I might even file a damage suit. Will not leave just like that.”

He continues to insist that the video was edited (cut and pasted) to show him in poor light. He also insisted that the Nadigar Sangam do an inquiry on this and accused it of acting in haste. 

When reporters try to point out the flaws in his stance, he starts yelling at them, deviates from the topic, and starts talking about Udhayanidhi Stalin’s eradicate Sanathana Dharma remarks. He also tried to damage one of their microphones by repeatedly banging on it and said, “I am part of this industry, I am part of this land, I am a Tamizhan, understand that first!”.

When asked his opinion on Udhayanidhi Stalin claiming he was Christian, he said he considers him a Hindu since both his parents (Durga Stalin and MK Stalin) and his grandfather were Hindu. He then adds, “Khushbu madam (he uses the word pirattiyar in a derogatory sense) must use her brain. Mansoor Ali Khan is also protecting you. In Tamil Nadu politics, they cannot even pluck grass. Congress will win 25 out of 40 seats here. I support Congress voluntarily.”

He keeps deviating from the topic to speak about Adani, BJP, Modi, and unconnected issues. He also claims that he protested for the sake of the Nadigar Sangam and the people but no one gave him the due recognition.

A female reporter questions him on the words used in the said video. Patronisingly, he says, “I have a Women’s Commission at home itself. If I say anything wrong, they will hammer me. I have two daughters of marriageable age like you. When I said, I would throw them on the bed, I meant as a character, I am repeating this again and again. Do they actually rape in cinema, do they kill for real in a murder scene?”

When the reporter insists on his original words, he raises his voice and repeats the same thing. He goes on insisting that he never said anything wrong. “You say children are watching my videos, did I say anything sexy or derogatory? I said it ordinarily, I appreciated them. I don’t even have sharp nails, I behave very kindly with my co-stars and everyone knows it.”

At this juncture, male reporters interrupt, highlighting the irony in Mansoor Ali Khan’s treatment of the female reporter, particularly given the press conference’s focus on the actor’s offensive remarks against women. In response, Mansoor Ali Khan further exacerbates the situation by making additional inappropriate references about Trisha. He says, “I am a human being, I am not the one who stripped and drunk-danced at the beach in the middle of the night and got arrested by the police. I am not referencing anyone in particular but she is a good actress. She spoke out of some kind of anger at me. But we will still act together in the next film. I appreciate her. Now thanks to her, my photos are in every newspaper, and they have used our photos like bride and groom together, in the future something else might happen..(a reporter interjects saying this way of speaking is only leading to the press coverage).. I will talk like this only. If you take it in the wrong sense, it is not my problem. I know how the Godi media is. Everyone is looking for employment, I cannot blame them. Let them earn using my name on YouTube.”

When a reporter asked why no one in the industry is condemning the crass remarks made by Bailvan Ranganathan frequently, he said, “I am a senior actor in the industry. I have reprimanded Bailvan Ranganathan for his comments many times. He has no work so he is doing that. People don’t have jobs, they are levying GST on everything and troubling the people. They are increasing gas prices, and toll fares, and even cinema halls are empty nowadays. People have no money in hand. Politicians are stripping us of our wealth. I called you for something else. I humbly request the Tamil Nadu CM to conduct a caste census. They should do away with the EVM. Only if the caste census is conducted, people like Bailvan Ranganathan will get jobs. Nadigar Sangam has made a mistake and must retract their press release. I will not be quiet if they don’t do that.”

He ends the press meet by singing the National Anthem while touching his hair and setting it right. This was questioned by a journalist and led to everyone verbally pouncing on the journalist for making “crazy allegations”.

All the while Khan maintains that his viral video was edited and his statements were misconstrued, it is noteworthy that the statements do not seem to be edited as he had said something similar during the Leo success meet. 

 

(with inputs from Movie Crow)

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