'A superstar grabbed me, lost opportunities for saying no,' Sonia Malhar reveals

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Actress Sonia Malhar has revealed a disturbing incident from 2013, involving a superstar. In an interview with an online media outlet, Sonia recounted the experience, which took place in Thodupuzha while she was working as a junior artiste.

"I had a bad experience with both a comedian and a young actor during that time," Sonia began. "It was when I had just started acting as a junior artiste. I was playing the role of an office staff member in a film. When I arrived at the shooting location in Thodupuzha, they provided me with costumes. The movie was being shot in a farm-like setting. As I was returning from the toilet, he grabbed me. I didn’t know him before that; I was caught without any permission."

Sonia recalled how frightened she was as a newcomer to the industry. "When I arrived at the location, the director introduced him to me, saying, 'This is the hero of the film.' I was excited to meet them all for the first time, but then someone I had looked up to suddenly misbehaved with me. When he held me tightly, I pushed him away. He said he liked me. I spoke out against it that very day. He asked for my phone number, but I refused to give it."

Sonia went on to explain that she shared the incident with her husband when she returned home and the actor later apologized. She decided to speak out now to challenge the perception that it’s easy to exploit women in the film industry. "Artists should be able to perform their work and go home without fear," she asserted. "I have spoken out against inappropriate behavior on many film sets and I know that’s why I haven’t received certain roles. Opportunities have been lost because I said no," Sonia Malhar concluded.