Singer Chinmayee accuses lyricist Vairamuthu

As #MeToo movement gathers momentum in India, playback singer Chinmayi Sripaada accused Tamil poet lyricist Vairamuthu of harassing her when they were both in Switzerland for an album launch or a book launch (she's not sure) in 2005 or 2006. Chinmayi Sripaada tweeted her #MeToo story after sharing stories of anonymous survivors for days. In a series of tweets, Chinmayi Sripaada alleged that Vairamuthu demanded that she visit him at his hotel room after hours and when she refused to "cooperate," she and her mother were sent back to India with the event organiser's departing statement - "You won't have a career." 

Actor Siddharth, who has been proactively tweeting about the #MeToo movement catching up in the Indian film industry, alsobacked Chinmayi Sripaada and tweeted: "Multiple women are speaking out against #Vairamuthu. Without judging anyone, they must be heard. When somebody of Chinmayi's stature who has so much to lose, stands by the accusers, that's huge!"

Sharing her story on social media, the National Award-winning singer said: "Year 2005/2006 maybe... Veezhamattom, an album for Sri Lankan Tamizhs that I had sung in, as had Manikka Vinayagam sir... We went to Switzerland... We sang... We performed... Everyone left. Only my mother and I were asked to stay back. The organizer (I don't remember his name) asked me to visit Vairamuthu sir in a hotel in Lucerne. I asked why. He told me to cooperate. I refused. We demanded to be sent back to India. He said 'You won't have a career!' My mother and I both put our foot down... demanded an earlier flight to India and came back."