Poppy 
Ram Kapoor has been dropped from the promotions of his new OTT series after making inappropriate and offensive comments.
In a surprising turn of events, actor Ram Kapoor, well-known and much-loved for his work in television, had become the centre of a major controversy. Before the release of his web series Mistry, which will premiere on Jio Hotstar on June 27, Ram Kapoor was completely excluded from all promotional activities.
The controversy and subsequent removal from promotions arose after he allegedly made some uncomfortable and inappropriate comments at a media event.
Ram Kapoor and co-star Mona Singh were being interviewed. Things took a turn for controversy when Kapoor allegedly made sexually inappropriate remarks. It is reported that he remarked on feeling “gang-raped” from the pressure of conducting non-stop interviews while a female journalist was in the process of fitting her mic.
According to reports, the remarks reportedly left the JioHotstar team “visibly uncomfortable” and resulted in formal internal complaints.
Once the backlash blew up, JioHotstar decisively entered action mode. Once a review of the situation was conducted internally and consulted with HR was consulted, laptops were returned from all promotional interviews and were instructed, as the platform indicated that it prioritises “dignity and safety” in the workplace.
Mona Singh continued all interactions with the media alone from that day on.
After the backlash, Kapoor made the decision to address the situation. He said he was “guilty as charged. Everything I am accused of having said, I did say.”
He said again that “I was being silly: embodying my ‘bindass self’ around people I felt comfortable with,” defending that he meant no harm. Nevertheless, he acknowledged he was wrong:
“If I feel that it was improper, why am I saying it in full voice?”
Kapoor said he was silly, especially because many in the notice were much younger, including the crew taking care of the promotions. “That is not okay,” he said. He said JioHotstar’s actions were to be commended, calling them a learning lesson. Most importantly, he said he would apologise personally to everyone.
Even with the controversy, Mistry was released on June 27. Ram Kapoor will play a quirky detective with OCD, and Mona Singh will play an intense police officer. The promo campaign will now be solely Mona, and the series will speak for itself.
This entire incident sends a clear message: in a #MeToo world, even beloved actors take a hit when they say something inappropriate.
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