Mumbai: Today is the birthday of ‘Made in India’ singer Alisha Chinai, formerly known as Alisha Chinoy, an Indian pop singer known for her Indi-pop albums as well as playback singing in Hindi cinema.
The talented singer made her debut with the album Jadoo in 1985 and by 1990s became known as the Queen of Indipop. Her best known songs were with producers Anu Malik and Biddu during the 1990s. Her most successful and popular album is Made in India, released in 1995.
She is the receiver of the Filmfare Best Female Playback Award for the song Kajra Re from the film Bunty Aur Babli in 2005. Alisha received the International Billboard Award around the time Made in India came out, and also won the Freddie Mercury Award for Artistic Excellence.
But do you know, this beautiful singer had once been a prey of the popular music director Anu Malick. Yes! You heard it right.
Alisha had accused Malik of molestation in the ’90s. She also dragged him to court. However, the matter was settled a few years later and they reconciled as co-judges on Indian Idol.
“When I sued (Anu) Malik, I fought it alone. It was an unprecedented landmark verdict and a restraining order was passed against him. The man has repeatedly begged for my forgiveness. I have chosen to forgive him and moved on,” Alisha added.
Alisha went on to claim that Malik is a habitual predator, who abuses girls at his home in the presence of his wife and daughters.
“Shweta Pandit, who disclosed her horrific experience with Malik, is the niece of composer duo Jatin-Lalit. Malik has two daughters and all these years he has been preying on girls his daughters’ age. Many of them were attacked in his house with his wife and daughters present,” she said.
Alisha also said that the industry has always been well-aware of his behaviour but chose to turn a blind eye to it.
Sona Mohapatra was the first one to call out Anu Malik in the open. She had called him a ‘serial predator’. This was followed by Shweta Pandit’s account – in which she accused the composer-singer of harassing her at the age of 15.
PNN