Shanthipriya reveals how racist joke by Akshay Kumar made her slip into depression, quit Bollywood
She also revealed an incident in which Akshay made fun of her skin colour.
Shantipriya reveals how racist joke by Akshay Kumar made her slip into depression, quit Bollywood , Twitter
Actress Shanthipriya who acted in her debut film Saugandh opposite Akshay Kumar in 1991, in a recent interview opened up about facing sexism in the industry. In the video posted on her Instagram, Shantipriya spoke about how she was looked down upon because of her dark skin.
She also revealed an incident in which Akshay made fun of her skin colour and that hurt her the most. The actor said that she suffered depression after the incident and decided to leave the industry.
She said, "After working in Saugandh, I worked with Akshay in Ikke Pe Ikka. It was a modern character and I had to wear a short dress. I used to wear stockings with dresses. I remember how Akshay used to make fun of me. We were shooting for the climax scene and because I wore a pair of stockings, my knees were looking darker. Apart from Akshay, Pankaj Dheer, Chandani, Prithvi, Raj Sippy, spot boy, makeup man, and other people were also present on the set. There were around 100 people. In front of all of them, Akshay said ‘Shantipriya has got big blood clots on her legs’. He repeated the same many times but I couldn’t understand it. I asked him about the blood clots on my legs and he said ‘look at your knees’. I was taken aback when I heard him. I was shocked and embarrassed. I didn’t know how to react and kept thinking about others. It was very uncomfortable and I kept thinking how could Akshay make such a joke in front of so many people."
She further added that how she thinks of the incident now as an immature mistake because they were all growing up and didn’t have any idea about sensitivity.
She said, "Akshay is a good friend today. I don’t want to hurt him by narrating this incident. We were all growing up and trying to become mature individuals then. I told Akshay a few years back that I wanted to make a comeback in the industry and he was very helpful. He gave me a lot of confidence and told me that he was there for me. We met at the Mehboob Studio. Akshay has changed a lot with time. He’s a responsible husband, father, actor and a citizen today. He is working a lot for our soldiers. I am proud of him and happy to see his success."