Trigger Warning: This article includes references to physical assault and harassment.
Actress Padmapriya Janakiraman recently opened up about a troubling incident that took place years ago on the sets of a Tamil film. She revealed how the filmmaker slapped her in front of everyone while the media reports claimed the opposite. During an event in Kozhikode on Tuesday, Padmapriya said as quoted by News18, “For a long time, I thought I was the issue.”
The actress further addressed the public and mentioned how the media falsely accused her of slapping the Tamil director while the opposite had happened. Padmapirya alleged that no one questioned why she complained to the film associations if any of the reports were true.
Talking about how it reflects on a broader issue in the film industry, she said, “When a woman talks about issues, she becomes the issue.”
Continuing her story, Padmapriya revealed that the director was barred from making movies for about six months following the incident. The actress said that after the “awful” experience she stopped accepting opportunities from Tamil cinema.
While Padmapriya never mentioned the director’s name who misbehaved with her, she did highlight the inequality faced by women in showbiz.
Not long ago, the Malayalam actress opened up about the Hema Committee report and called the Association of Malayalam Movie Artists (AMMA) disorganized. During an interview with Asianet News, Padmapriya said that she never expected the entire committee to resign as it was an irresponsible move.
She called out the film bodies for taking such sensitive matters “merely as sexual harassment allegations” rather than focusing on the “underlying power dynamics.”
Padmpriya shared her personal experience in Mollywood and said, “When I was around 25-26 years old, a leading production manager asked me, ‘Aren’t you getting too old? Maybe it’s time to stop.’ This is the kind of perspective that exists in the Malayalam industry.”
Disclaimer: If you need support or know someone who is struggling with domestic violence or sexual assault, abuse, or harassment, please reach out to your nearest mental health specialist or NGO, or speak to someone about it. There are several helplines available for the same.
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