Marathi actress sheds tears, vents ire over BJP MLA’s ‘slur’ on her; to meet CM

Mumbai, Dec 28 (IANS) Veteran Marathi films and television actress Prajakta Mali slammed Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Suresh R. Dhas for making certain scurrilous remarks against her, demanding a public apology, here on Saturday.

Speaking to media persons, Mali, 35, also said that she had complained to the Maharashtra State Commission for Women (MSCW) and plans to write and meet Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and the Deputy CMs on the issue.

The actress – who started her film career at the age of 15 with a bit role in Shah Rukh Khan’s ‘Swades’ (2004) – took strong umbrage at the ruling BJP MLA Dhas (from Ashti in Beed district) for his insinuating remarks targeting her character and reputation.

Breaking down several times during the media meet, she cautioned Dhas and other politicians from “involving the names of film personalities who are soft targets” for their personal political aims.

“All this has been going on for over a month-and-half, but I did not react… Just because I was silent doesn’t imply my tacit consent to whatever is said about me,” said Mali.

Her ire was especially against Dhas’ remarks naming her along with a couple of other Marathi actresses, while speaking on his political rival, ruling ally Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Minister Dhananjay Munde and the boiling row over the killing of Massajog Sarpanch, Santosh Pandit Deshmukh on December 9.

Among other things, Dhas hinted that actresses like Prajaktta Mali keep coming to Parli, and certain other insinuations that left her livid, shocked the film fraternity and agonised her family.

Strongly condemning Dhas’ baseless and tasteless remarks pointing fingers at her character, she said that he probably had no inkling of the damage caused to her dignity and reputation.

“He was referring to just one brief meeting at a public function and a photograph. He made baseless statements. But the media and social media blew it out of proportion with thousands of videos going viral. We are all suffering, my mother couldn’t sleep the whole night, and my brother has blocked all his social media accounts,” she said, while tears welled up in her eyes several times during her media encounter.

The actress said she came forward to demand a public apology from Dhas, not only to her personally but also to he womenfolk in general whom he has tainted with his utterances.

“I want to tell Dhas. You are a politician, we are artists and entertainment is our profession. You indulge in your politics, but why do you have to drag us actors into it? Do only female artists come to Parli, have no male artists ever been there? Then why are we being singled out,” said Mali.

She said that such behaviour does not behove politicians in the state, raising suspicions over the character of women artists or their achievements just to play out their personal politics, and the media blows it up for sensation and boosting TRPs.

Mali said she has requested the Maharashtra State Commission for Women. (MSCW) to initiate action against all concerned within the legal framework, and urged the CM for measures to curb social media from sensationalising such baseless things without any evidence to back it up.

To a question, she said that the entertainment industry is sympathetic to her and if needed she was ready to assume a leadership role to stop the assault on entertainers and celebrities by the politicians.

“If such things continue, there are questions raised that in future, people may not encourage their children to become part of the entertainment industry. We entertain the masses, but some people misuse and abuse our name to create their own entertainment,” she said sharply.

Meanwhile, the Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) and certain other local politicians have expressed support for Mali’s cause.

(Quaid Najmi can be contacted at: qnajmi@gmail.com)

–IANS

qn/uk