Bhavana Menon, a popular actress from the southern Indian state of Kerala, who was abducted and sexually assaulted in 2017, has broken her silence after five years, describing her “difficult journey from being a victim to a survivor”.
In a live interview to a private YouTube channel, ‘The Mojo Story’, the noted actress spoke up, ending her five-year silence, and declared that she would give a strong fight without thinking about the outcome.
The actress, who had essayed prominent roles in Malayalam, Tamil, Kannada, and Telugu movies, said her family, including her husband, close relatives, friends, and the general public had supported her during her traumatic period. Bhavna said: “My dignity has been shredded to a million pieces.” It was sheer willpower that
kept her going, she added. The actress said she felt lonely despite the strong support extended to her by her family and friends.
She recalled how she was in the courtroom for 15 days in 2020 from morning till evening. Each time a lawyer cross-examined her — and she was quizzed by a battery of seven lawyers – she had to prove that she was innocent.
Earlier, she penned a long not on Instagram and had written, “This has not been an easy journey. The journey from being a victim to becoming a survivor. For five years now, my name and my identity have been suppressed under the weight of the assault inflicted on me.”
She further wrote, “Though I am not the one who had committed the crime, there have been many attempts to humiliate, silence, and isolate me. But at such times I have had some who stepped forward to keep my voice alive. Now when I hear so many voices speak up for me I know that I am not alone in this fight for
justice.”
-With bbc.com input
