Indian Idol 11 Judge Anu Malik To Step Down As Judge Over Netizens Rising Roar Of Protest?

The singing reality show, Indian Idol  started its season 11 with 15 contestants who will compete for the title. The show took a kickstart on October 12, 2019 , but as soon as the first episode premiered, netizens expressed their disappointment with makers over roping in Anu Mallik as  a judge who has been accused of sexual harassment during the surge of #MeToo movements. 

The makers of Indian Idol 11 must not have anticipated the severe backlash they would have to face after reinstating Anu Malik on the judging panel of the singing reality show are now re-visiting their decision once and for all.

According to a report by Bollywood Hungama, the channel is thinking of letting Anu Malik step down as the judge. A source told the tabloid, “Anu Malik may be shown the door in the next few weeks. They thought the backlash against him had quietly died down. They never anticipated this new rising roar of protest against his return to the show.” 

Meanwhile, singer Sona Mohapatra over an open letter recently blasted the channel that airs the show for letting Anu Mallik come back to the show. In her Twitter post, sona recalled how, last year, she was asked to leave the judge's seat of a reality show when she called out Anu Malik as a "serial predator" and that he had been one for years.   

Mohapatra, in her letter, mentioned how Sonu Nigam who had come out in support of Anu last year called her husband, Ram Sampath, and asked him to "keep her in check".She has also hit out at music director Vishal Dadlani for failing to "walk the talk", adding the "dignity" of women should mean more to him that a few million in the bank and Neha Kakkar, Aditya Narayan for they 'Never had a snibe or stand' to speak up. 

Sona even criticised the channel for utilizing Sachin Tendular's praise as a 'marketing exercise' and 'riding on his hard-earned goodwill'On one hand, singers Sona Mohapatra and Neha Bhasin are speaking up against Anu Malik’s comeback in Indian Idol 11, another singer Hema Sardesai has backed Anu Malik and has supported him, saying that he has respectfully given her songs on merit alone.

This. pic.twitter.com/LoZKmiHzEC

— ShutUpSona (@sonamohapatra) October 31, 2019

For the uninitiated, Malik was removed from the jury of Indian Idol over sexual misconduct charges last year but was re-hired in the 11th season of the singing-based reality TV show drawing much flak from netizens as well.