Back in 2018, India’s entertainment industry was shaken when several women raised their voices during the #MeToo movement. Among the many names that surfaced, filmmaker Sajid Khan stood out, accused by multiple women of sexual misconduct. He was removed as the director of Housefull 4 and suspended for a year by the Indian Film and Television Directors Association. The scandal also impacted his personal life, and Sajid later admitted battling depression and experiencing suicidal thoughts.
Now, years later, the controversy has resurfaced. Actress Navina Bole, known for her roles in Ishqbaaaz and Miley Jab Hum Tum, has come forward with her own disturbing experience involving Sajid Khan. In a conversation with Subhojit Ghosh on his YouTube channel, Navina opened up about an incident that occurred during her early days in the industry. She recalled how unsettling it was to be around Sajid and described him as someone she never wishes to encounter again.
Navina shared that her ordeal began when she was called for an audition for Sajid’s film Heyy Baby. At the time, fresh off her Gladrags days between 2004 and 2006, she felt thrilled at the opportunity. But the excitement quickly turned to discomfort when she arrived at his residence. According to Navina, Sajid asked her to strip down to her lingerie and sit like that in front of him, under the pretext of checking how “comfortable” she was for the role.
Caught off guard, Navina said she froze, not knowing how to respond to such an inappropriate demand. She quoted Sajid saying, “Why, you wore a bikini on stage, so what is the problem? It’s all ‘Tits and ass’.” He allegedly tried to convince her to relax and behave casually, making it seem like a normal part of the audition process.
Navina explained that, fortunately, someone was waiting for her outside the building. This gave her a sense of security and courage, and though the situation was intimidating, she refused to comply. She reportedly told him that while she could bring a bikini if required for a screen test, she wasn’t going to sit there in her lingerie for his amusement. Without further engagement, she left the place immediately.
What made matters worse was what happened next. Navina revealed that Sajid repeatedly called her phone, trying to reach her about 50 times after she walked out. The constant calls only heightened her sense of alarm. She chose to ignore them, cutting all communication after that disturbing encounter.
A year later, Sajid allegedly contacted her again. This time, Navina was participating in the Mrs. India pageant when she received a call from him. In the conversation, he casually asked her why she hadn’t approached him for work. Navina was shocked that he didn’t even remember their earlier interaction. She said, “I said this guy must be hitting on so many women that he does not even remember that one year ago he had called me to his place and he has already hit on me so badly.”
Navina described Sajid as a man who crossed all boundaries when it came to treating women with dignity. According to her, his behavior toward women wasn’t limited to one or two incidents but was part of a pattern. She pointed out that he had approached several women after Gladrags, and his actions consistently reflected an attitude of entitlement and disrespect.
This revelation has added fuel to the ongoing conversation about accountability in Bollywood. With Navina’s statement, it’s evident that many stories remain unheard, and only a handful of survivors muster the courage to speak.
