• By Ridhi Suri
  • Wed, 22 Nov 2023 03:19 PM (IST)
  • Source:JND

Bigg Boss Tamil 7's Vichithra has emerged as a compelling participant in Kamal Haasan hosted show. During a recent task, where contestants shared important moments in their lives, Vichithra courageously recounted a distressing experience related to the casting couch. She recalled an incident that occurred while working on a Telugu film, which ultimately led her to exit the film industry two decades ago. She revealed that despite lodging a complaint with the union regarding the incident, no action was taken.

Vichithra embarked on her film journey in 1991, showcasing her talent across Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, and Kannada cinema. Her diverse acting repertoire earned her recognition across industries.

Vichithra recalls casting couch

In Bigg Boss, Vichithra expressed her intention to confront her past by sharing her side of the story, indicating a personal journey of facing her demons. She started with, "Back in 2000, a late actor suggested a film to me. I don't want to reveal the details. The shooting took place in Malampuzha, where I met my husband. That's where I faced my worst-ever casting couch experience. Everyone knows that I disappeared from films after my wedding. This was the reason. I wanted to forget this incident, but this wound is so deep that never healed. Opening up about the incident right now means I've faced my demons. We were put up in a 3-star hotel where my husband was the general manager. There was a party where I met the hero (very famous). He never asked my name, but asked me to come to his room. It was a huge shock for me. I didn't understand what kind of a gesture it was. That night, I went to my room and slept. From the next day, I started facing a lot of issues during shooting."

Adding, "I've never faced such situations in Tamil cinema. The men working on the film used to get drunk and bang on my door. I could still remember the noise. I was disheartened and was thinking how to deal with this. I used to tell the hotel guys not to connect calls to my hotel. My now-husband, who was not even my friend back then, asked me if I was dealing with something and if he could help. I told him to change my room. He and his team managed to change my room everyday without letting the team know. I don't how they managed and they tried to help me. The men used to go bang on other doors thinking I was there. One day, the men lost their patience and wanted to teach me a lesson."

Recounting it further, she added, "We were shooting a forest scene where a commotion would take place. While shooting the scene, I felt that someone was touching me inappropriately. I thought it could be a mistake. The director went for a second take and again it happened. The third time, I caught the guy and took him to the stunt master. He gave me a tight slap and I was stunned. I looked at the entire unit and none of them stepped up to talk to me. I was seething with rage, and felt fear, anger and was so emotional. I couldn't tell my parents so I opened up to my friend. The person asked me to complain to the union. They held me so hard and I had blood clots. I had marks on my face from the slap."

"I complained to the union and they asked me to come back. No one came for me. It was an incident that was much talked-about in the newspapers. One of the members of the union asked me why I came to them instead of approaching the police. I met the lawyers and it was an ugly procedure. In two days, my wounds got healed and no one came to the court for hearings. My now-husband offered to give evidence during the hearing. That's when I felt that my career was finished. I was thinking how I could manage my family. The head of the union advised me to forget everything and go back to work. My husband then asked me ,'Is this what you're working for? If you don't get respect or dignity, you don't deserve to be here'. It felt like a slap on my face.

My now-husband then went through the hearing throughout this. He wanted to get married to me as he saw me more than an actress. He is my hero. He gave me a beautiful family and three kids. So many criminals have escaped because no action is taken. That's why I stand up for issues. The after-effects were too much and took me 20-22 years to heal. This is my comeback and I'm facing my demons," she concluded.

While Vichithra didn't explicitly mention the hero or film involved in the casting couch incident, some fans on social media platforms have theorised that the incident might have occurred during her work on a film called 'Bhalevadivi Basu', which starred Nandamuri Balakrishna, known as Balayya. The incident she shared on the show has sparked interest and discussions regarding the challenges faced by actors within the film industry. Here's what social media feels :

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