‘Thought of suicide many times in the last 6 years…’ Sajid Khan reveals his/her pain!

When Sajid Khan was shooting for ‘Housefull 4’ in 2018, many women made allegations of sexual harassment against him/her under the MeToo movement. After this his/her life changed completely. Due to these allegations his/her career ended overnight. 54 year old Sajid was made fun of and maligned. he/she maintained silence for full 6 years. During this period, he/she remained mentally and physically very troubled. Sajid Khan recalled his/her last six years in an interview given to Hindustan Times. he/she said, ‘I have thought about taking my life many times in the last six years. Despite getting clearance from the Indian Film and Television Directors Association (IFTDA), I am out of work. I’m trying to get back on my feet. Due to lack of income, I had to sell my house and move to a rented flat. I was 14 when I started earning, because my father (actor-producer-director Kamran Khan) passed away, leaving me and (my sister) Farah (filmmaker and choreographer) in debt. Today I wish my mother were alive (Maneka Irani passed away in 2024) so ​​that she could see me trying to get back on my feet. More than his/her son, I was the one taking care of him/her. Life has been quite difficult.

#MeToo: ‘Housefull 4’ star Riteish Deshmukh speaks after sexual harassment allegations against Sajid Khan

Sajid said- I was outspoken, angered people

he/she further said, ‘Now everyone does this on YouTube, but in the initial days of my career, I used to do sensational things just to make headlines. When I worked on TV, my job was to entertain people. I offended a lot of people…When I watch some of my interviews today, I feel like I could go back with a time machine and stop that guy – say, ‘Idiot, what are you saying? Why are you so outspoken?’ Words don’t matter; Work is important. Because I was too outspoken, I offended people. Whenever I realized it, I would apologize, but when work stops, you start questioning your life. I have calmed down. Now I just want to live by working.

Left ‘Housefull 4’ for this reason

Sajid told why he/she left ‘Housefull 4’. he/she said, ‘I left ‘Housefull 4’ because I did not want the dates to change. Producer Sajid Nadiadwala had built a big set with 10-15 busy actors. Changing dates would have disrupted the film for years. My case was a one-sided trial by the media. What does a man work for? For respect. When that is taken away, your self-esteem is in doubt. I was known for my offensive humor. I believed that offense is the best defense. But I’ve learned the hard way. I have never disrespected women, and I never will. My mother taught me to believe in gender equality. I didn’t know that I would have to pay such a heavy price for my words.

Sajid used to pretend to go to work for his/her mother

When the allegations were made against Sajid, what was the reaction of the family? To this he/she replied, ’10 days before this happened, I was shooting in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan and my mother was unwell. When I had to leave the film, I was worried that he/she would have a heart attack if he/she found out. I asked Farah (sister) to hide the newspaper from him/her. For 10 days I pretended everything was fine, leaving the house and coming back as if I was on the set… I have never said anything against any woman and never will. But yes, the last 6 years have been a period of self-assessment. Everyone named in the movement went back to work, but not me. felt terrible. It made me realize that I not only needed to change my life, but also the way I talked to people. I am much more restrained now.

‘Why am I not being given a chance?’

Sajid said that there has been a lot of change in entertainment after the Corona epidemic. Ultimately it depends on how you present yourself and how strong your script is. I didn’t understand why after so many years when everyone else had moved on, I was not being given that opportunity. I now have a film scheduled to start in the middle of the year, but there is no guarantee of success. This is the nature of the industry. he/she also told that he/she was silent for so many years because of his/her mother.

Sajid’s mother was under mental stress

he/she told that the allegations against him/her during the #MeToo movement had a deep impact on him/her. he/she wanted to end his/her life. Suffered losses for 6 years. Lost my house. Lost mother. he/she told that his/her mother not only passed away due to illness, but was also burdened with the mental stress of worrying about him/her. Sajid feels that he/she has disappointed his/her mother.