Amruta Subhash Recalls Being Sexually Harassed By Big Film Producer: 'Felt His Hand On My Waist, I Turned Around &...'

Actress Amruta Subhash recently opened up about her disturbing experiences of sexual harassment in the entertainment industry during one of her interviews. She shared two incidents where she confronted powerful men who crossed boundaries and spoke about the importance of standing up against inappropriate behaviour, regardless of the perpetrator's stature.

Recalling one such moment from her theatre days during an interview with Zoom, Amruta said, "There was a producer of a play. I was climbing some stairs, and maybe my top lifted slightly, I didn't even realise. I felt something - a hand near my waist. I turned around and he was a big producer. I just looked at him and said, 'What did you just do? What was that?' And he just brushed it off saying, 'It’s nothing,' pretending as if nothing happened. I said, 'I felt it. What was that?' Everybody was stunned because he was such a big name. He said, 'No no, your top just moved up,' and I said, 'It's none of your business! How dare you touch me there? You can't do that.'"

Amruta didn't hold back even though people around her feared the consequences. "Everybody was like, 'Her roles will be gone,' and I said, 'Let it go to hell.' Because you can't touch me anywhere without consent. I just gave it back to him. He was elderly, very elderly. Still, I directly gave it back to him, right there."

In another incident, she described being harassed by another senior figure in the industry. "Why don't you come drink with us at night?" the person asked the actress. Tired of repeated suggestions, Amruta decided to confront him directly.

"I went. His room was right there. I banged the door open and entered. I knew people were watching. He was shocked. I looked into his eyes and said, 'Sir, you are my father's age. Why are you talking to me like this? What is your problem?' I said it calmly but directly. And in his eyes, I saw the awkwardness. Of course, I left the door open, not just for his sake, but for my safety too. I was tired of hearing it daily. People were laughing awkwardly but why should I be the one feeling awkward? I spoke to him, 'Why are you doing this? Don’t do it. You are like my father.' After that, things settled down."

During the interview, Amruta also offered advice to young women facing similar challenges in the industry. "One thing I always do, I look straight into such men's eyes. These kinds of men are afraid of eye contact. That’s my tip for women. If you feel scared, they understand and try to overpower you. But if you look straight at them, just stare back, they get scared."

Amruta, a National Award-winning actress, has carved a niche in Indian cinema with her performances in films like Gully Boy, Sacred Games, Raman Raghav 2.0, Ghost Stories, Choked, and Dhamaka. Trained at NSD, she transitions between theatre, Marathi cinema, OTT and Bollywood.

The 46-year-old actress was last seen in Lust Stories 2 which released in 2023.

news