Vichitra is a former actress from Chennai who appeared in films in multiple languages. She recently disclosed a #MeToo incident from her past on a TV show.
According to her, in 2001, she had the opportunity to play a character in a Telugu film shot in the Palakkad region.
Upon her introduction as an artiste playing so-and-so role to the film's hero, he immediately summoned her to his room without even asking for her name.
She recounted, "I was uncomfortable and managed to avoid going to his room, choosing to sleep in my own. However, troubles began the next day. Shots were not approved promptly, an experience that never happened to me in the Tamil film industry. I couldn't discern whether it was a stroke of bad luck or bad timing. Every night, I would hear banging on my room door persistently."
She further revealed, "At that time, my husband (who wasn't even a friend back then) was the hotel's general manager and empathized with my situation. I asked him to discreetly change my room without alerting anyone. He complied, providing me with a different room each day. Yet, individuals assumed my location, banging on the door and making inappropriate comments at night. It was distressing, and I wondered when it would end. Eventually, they grew frustrated and wanted to 'teach me a lesson.'"
Continuing her narrative, she said, "During an action scene in a village area, where the stunt master and crew were present, someone repeatedly touched me inappropriately from behind. After a few attempts to discern if it was accidental, I confronted him, bringing him in front of the stunt master. Shockingly, instead of reprimanding the guy who misbehaved with me, the stunt master slapped me in front of everyone, including the film's hero."
She concluded the incident by stating, "I hoped someone would come to my aid, but nobody stepped forward. I walked off the set, overwhelmed with anger and humiliation. This incident, this worst experience, haunts me forever."
She also mentioned, "I filed a complaint with the union, but they remained unresponsive. When I though to take legal action, they insisted that I would have to forfeit my union membership by doing so. This situation is a double crime - insulting a woman inappropriately and physically assaulting her in the workplace. However, the union did not support me and even warned against involving the police."
Now, the question arises about the identity of the Telugu hero in question. Many are searching through Vichitra's filmography and the Telugu films released in 2001, shot in the Palakkad region. Although Vichitra did not disclose the hero's name, her narrative suggests that it may not be challenging to identify the individual based on the details provided.
The social media accounts are mentioning that the details are matching to a senior star hero who is known for talking inappropriately about women on a stage a few years ago.
