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Actress Shubhangi Atre reacted to the controversy surrounding Shilpa Shinde's admission that her past sexual harassment complaint against producer Sanjay Kohli was false. Without commenting on Shinde personally, Atre said public figures must respect the law and never misuse it, stressing that celebrities carry social responsibility because their words and actions influence the public.

Shilpa Shinde recently found herself at the centre of a massive controversy after admitting, nearly a decade later, that the sexual harassment complaint she had filed against Bhabiji Ghar Par Hain producer Sanjay Kohli was false. During a podcast with Bharti Singh and Haarsh Limbachiyaa, Shilpa revealed that she had levelled the allegation as a last resort amid her legal and contractual dispute with the makers following her exit from the show. Her confession triggered widespread outrage, with several members of the entertainment industry and women’s rights advocates criticising her, arguing that false allegations undermine the credibility of genuine survivors of sexual harassment and weaken public trust in real victims.

Now, in an exclusive conversation with The Free Press Journal, actress Shubhangi Atre, who replaced Shilpa as Angoori Bhabhi in Bhabiji Ghar Par Hain in 2016, reacted to the controversy. While refraining from making any personal remarks about Shilpa, Shubhangi strongly stressed that public figures have a responsibility towards society and urged everyone to respect the law and never misuse it.

Speaking about the responsibility that comes with being a public figure, Shubhangi said, “I would stay away from commenting on this. But yes, at the same time, I want to say that as responsible citizens, we should respect the law. We should definitely respect the law because I have been working in this industry for the last 20 years. People look up to us. Brands approach us, we endorse products, and we attend events. People listen to what we say. That’s why, whenever awareness campaigns are launched, even the government reaches out to us. For example, when our Honourable Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, many of us received letters requesting us to contribute to the campaign. Why? Because people listen to us and look up to us.”

She further emphasised that celebrities must be mindful of the influence they hold, “We have a responsibility because whatever we say or do carries credibility. So I just want to say that we should respect the law. That’s it. No personal comments, definitely. You can understand that. But as responsible citizens, yes, we should respect the law and we should not misuse it.”