Actor Payal Ghosh’s lawyer has said that she is ready to apologise and withdraw her comments against actor Richa Chadha. Nitin Satpute, who is representing Payal in the defamation suit filed by Richa against Payal seeking Rs 1.1 crore in damages for making defamatory statements, told the Bombay High Court on Wednesday that Payal would withdraw her remarks.
Actor Richa Chadha had filed defamation suit against Payal Ghosh for "tarnishing her reputation" and subjecting her to "immense humiliation, ridicule, unwanted speculation, harassment, harsh public scrutiny and loss of business opportunity and goodwill thereby causing tremendous stress and mental agony".
Payal had accused filmmaker Anurag Kashyap of sexual harassment and also mentioned Richa’s name which led to the latter filing a defamation suit. In a video released to ABN Telugu, Payal said that the incident happened in 2014-2015. The actor, who made her Hindi debut with Rishi Kapoor-Paresh Rawal starrer Patel Ki Punjabi Shaadi, also claimed that Kashyap boasted about his connection with megastar Amitabh Bachchan and claimed that there were other female artistes who he got intimate with, including Richa.
Payal said that in order to convince her, Anurag said that "all the actresses he has worked with are just a call away" -- indicating that these actresses, including Richa, have provided sexual favours to Anurag.
Richa took to Twitter to share her lawyer Saveena Bedi Sachar's statement.
"Our Client has initiated appropriate legal action and shall further pursue her legal rights and remedies in law as may be advised in her best interest."
The statement further read that the Fukrey actor condemns her name being "unnecessarily and falsely dragged in a defamatory manner" into controversies and allegations raised by "third parties."
Payal had earlier told IANS that she did not understand why Richa thought Payal was trying to defame her. "This is completely a false accusation. I don't understand what I have to do with this case. Why is she trying to defame me? She should instead ask Mr Kashyap why he took her name."
(With PTI and IANS inputs)