(This article is authored by Alar)

In a fitting response to his sexist remarks, actor Mansoor Ali Khan has been slapped with a hefty fine of ₹1 lakh by the Madras High Court, which also refused to entertain his defamation suit against actress Trisha and others. Khan had made derogatory comments about Trisha at a press meet for their film Leo, saying that he was disappointed that he did not get to act with her or have any “bedroom scenes” with her.

His remarks sparked outrage among the film fraternity and the public, who condemned him for his misogyny and disrespect towards women. Trisha, along with actors Chiranjeevi and Khushbu Sundar, and the makers of Leo, expressed their displeasure and disgust over Khan’s statement on social media platform X. The National Commission for Women also took notice of the issue and directed the Chennai police to file an FIR against Khan.

Instead of apologizing for his offensive comments, Khan decided to sue Trisha and others for defamation, claiming that they had taken his “joke” out of context and tarnished his reputation. He approached the High Court seeking permission to file a civil defamation suit against them.

However, the High Court was not impressed by his plea and dismissed it as a publicity stunt. Justice N Satish Kumar observed that Trisha was the victim of Khan’s harassment and she had the right to react like any normal person would. The Court also imposed a fine of ₹1 lakh on Khan for wasting its time and directed him to deposit the amount with the Adyar Cancer Institute in Chennai.