‘He Always Respected Everyone’: Narayani Shastri Defends Alok Nath, Says MeToo Wave ‘Came and Went’

New Delhi: Veteran actor Alok Nath, once known as television’s ‘Sanskari Babu Ji’, has largely remained away from the entertainment industry since facing MeToo allegations in 2018. The controversy severely impacted his career after producer Vinta Nanda and actress Navneet Nishan accused him of sexual misconduct. A rape case was registered against him at Mumbai’s Oshiwara Police Station in November 2018. He was granted bail in January 2019 and has consistently denied all allegations, later filing a defamation suit.

Years after the controversy, actress Narayani Shastri has spoken about Alok Nath and the impact of the MeToo movement during an interview with Siddharth Kannan.

Narayani Shastri on MeToo
Reflecting on the MeToo movement, Narayani said that the campaign, which gained nationwide attention after actress Tanushree Dutta’s allegations in 2018, eventually faded away. According to her, none of the high-profile cases reached a clear conclusion, with neither guilt nor innocence being conclusively established in many instances.

She remarked that today, people’s biggest concern is whether someone is secretly recording them, suggesting that the movement has lost much of its momentum.

‘He Was Always Respectful’
Speaking about her personal experience with Alok Nath, Narayani said he always treated his co-stars with dignity and respect during the four-and-a-half years they worked together. She acknowledged that the actor occasionally consumed alcohol but claimed that even then, he never behaved inappropriately with anyone on the sets.

The actress also said she cannot comment on incidents she did not witness personally and does not believe in judging someone based on hearsay. She emphasized that throughout her association with Alok Nath, she never saw him misbehave with anyone.

Narayani further expressed her belief that Alok Nath is innocent and suggested that he had been falsely implicated. However, it is important to note that her remarks reflect her personal opinion. The allegations against Alok Nath remain disputed, and he has consistently denied all accusations made against him.