Singer Alisha Chinai recently opened up about the 1996 sexual harassment case she filed against music composer Anu Malik. The singer revealed that after taking legal steps, she was isolated by the industry, and even work offers came to a halt. She also recalled she wasn’t initially keen on taking action, but her then-husband and manager, Rajesh, encouraged her to speak up.
Alisha Chinai recalls being isolated
During a recent interview with Zoom, Alisha recounted, “I believe they dismissed it outright. Ultimately, it’s a man’s domain, sadly. Well, it used to be. Now, it’s a woman’s domain. At that time, I was married, and my former husband Rajesh was also overseeing much of my career. He was quite supportive of my perspective.”
Alisha further shared that most of her songs at the time were with Anu Malik, and after the case went public, much of her professional work dried up. The Made In India singer also expressed disappointment that no one in the industry supported her when she decided to speak out. “A lot of my work just stopped. But I told myself, forget it, it didn’t bother me that they isolated me,” she revealed.
Anu Malik and Alisha Chinai reunite
Despite the past allegations, Alisha and Anu Malik later reunited professionally for the film Ishq Vishq in 003. They later even served as judges on Indian Idol. Alisha clarified that the reconciliation came only after Anu offered a personal apology, admitting that he had crossed the line.
Years later, during the MeToo movement in 2018, when several women accused Anu Malik of similar misconduct, they reached out to Alisha for her support. Although she was hesitant at first, she eventually backed their claims.
Alisha Chinai is a pop, Bollywood singer who shot to fame in the 1990s. She is often credited as one of the early icons of the Indipop movement, best known for her distinctive voice. She became a household name with the hit Made in India in 1995. In her career, she collaborated with music composers like Anu Malik, Bappi Lahiri, and Rajesh Roshan, and delivered memorable tracks across pop albums and Bollywood films.
