Anu Malik's brother Daboo Malik recalls suffering pain of MeToo allegations on his brother: 'It shattered us…'

During the MeToo movement, Anu Malik faced serious sexual harassment allegations from singers like Sona Mohapatra, Neha Bhasin, and Alisha Chinai. Recently, his brother, Daboo Malik, a fellow music composer, shared insights into how their family navigated the controversy.

Speaking to journalist Vickey Lalwani, Daboo recalled the difficult period. “It shattered us as a family. He was also taken aback. We couldn’t handle the pain he went through at the time with so many people targeting him. We supported him emotionally. We saw to it that he got back in terms of work and meetings. As a family, I couldn’t pass any judgement. One should not. He saw a very difficult time. I have supported him on an individual level because when you see someone going through so much, it was quite a setback for him."

Daboo shared that the situation was particularly difficult for their elderly parents to understand. “They couldn’t understand what was happening. They were in their ’80s."

Daboo mentioned that they didn't give the situation much importance. He stated that they didn't consider themselves stars, nor was his brother a superstar. He felt that they were musicians and shouldn't unnecessarily engage in conversations about someone on social media, as it could elevate their position. He concluded that he didn't believe they were significant enough to warrant such discussions.

During India's MeToo movement in October 2018, several women, including singer Shweta Pandit, accused Anu Malik of sexual harassment. Pandit alleged that Malik had made an unwanted advance towards her when she was 15. Lyricist Sameer, however, defended Malik, denying the allegations.

Sona Mohapatra and Neha Bhasin also alleged predatory conduct, while Hema Sardesai defended him. Malik denied all claims, but the public's backlash resulted in his departure from Indian Idol Season 10, where he served as a judge. Alisha Chinai, who had previously sued Malik for molestation in the 1990s, stood by the new accusations.

Shweta had said in her post that she was just 15 when Malik made her uncomfortable by asking to kiss him. “Had to go back to my worst memory as a teenage girl today to write this and speak up - its now or never. This is my #MeToo and have to warn young girls about #AnuMalik & let you know your #TimesUp @IndiaMeToo. Thank you @sonamohapatra for speaking up about him & supporting this,” she wrote on Twitter.

In an Instagram post, singer Sona Mohapatra wrote, “This guy, #KailashKher is a serial predator & has been for years as are many others like Anu Malik in the industry. I cannot be tweeting about everyone cus I work 18 hour work days & have a life to live & breathe in.”

Anu Malik had to leave Indian Idol because of the accusations. In 2019, Anu Malik spoke out and addressed the allegations, writing, “It has been over a year that I have been accused of something that I haven’t done. I have been silent all this while as I was waiting for the truth to surface on its own. But I realise that my silence on the matter has been misconstrued as my weakness.”

“Ever since the false and unverified allegations were levelled against me, it has not only ruined my reputation, but affected me and my family’s mental health, left us traumatised, and tarnished my career. I feel helpless, like I am being cornered and suffocated… Being a father of two daughters, I can’t imagine committing the acts that I am accused of, let alone do it,” he added.