Mistry, which stars Mona Singh and Ram Kapoor in lead roles. (image-Instagram/iamramkapoor)
Mumbai: Actor Ram Kapoor has been removed from all promotional activities related to his upcoming mystery dramedy Mistry following allegations of sexually inappropriate and unprofessional conduct during a media interaction in Mumbai last week.
According to a Mid-Day report, the decision was made by the senior leadership and HR team at JioHotstar, the OTT platform hosting the series, after multiple eyewitnesses alleged that Kapoor made several disturbing remarks laced with sexual innuendo during interviews held at Juhu’s JW Marriott on June 19.
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The incident reportedly occurred during back-to-back press interactions for the show, with Kapoor seated alongside co-star Mona Singh and several JioHotstar executives. At one point, while commenting on his busy schedule, Kapoor allegedly said he felt “gang-raped”, a remark that reportedly shocked those present. A journalist who was preparing her mic at the time has reportedly confirmed hearing the comment.
“The situation worsened as the day went on,” a JioHotstar insider told Mid-Day. “He continued to make sexually suggestive remarks to members of the media as well as our own PR and internal teams.”
One executive recalled Kapoor commenting on a colleague’s outfit, saying, “The clothes are distracting.” Another added, “It didn’t hit us right away, but later that evening, when we started talking, we realised just how many offensive things he said. He even told one of our male colleagues that his mother should have faked a headache and he shouldn’t have been born. He referenced sex positions openly.”
The following morning, June 20, the matter was formally escalated to JioHotstar’s senior management. After internal discussions and confirmation from multiple witnesses, the platform decided to drop Kapoor from all upcoming promotions for Mistry.
“This workplace prioritises dignity and safety. After a complaint was formally raised and corroborated by witnesses, leadership moved quickly,” a source from the platform told the publication. “The platform wants to distance itself from any behaviour that normalises workplace misconduct.”
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As a result, all ongoing promotional duties will now be led solely by Mona Singh, Kapoor’s co-star in the series. Kapoor has not yet released a public statement addressing the controversy.
JioHotstar has also reportedly accelerated plans to conduct internal training on gender sensitivity and workplace conduct to prevent similar incidents in the future.
Mistry, which stars Mona Singh and Ram Kapoor in lead roles, is scheduled for release on the streaming platform later this month.
