Mumbai, Oct 1 (IANS) Actress Swara Bhasker recalled an uncomfortable experience involving a director early in her career.

The actress said the filmmaker repeatedly crossed boundaries while she was shooting a big lead film shortly after the success of Tanu Weds Manu.

Speaking on Rise & Fall Season 2, Swara recalled how the director allegedly became overly interested in her and kept pushing for private interactions under the pretext of rehearsals and readings.

Recalling the experience, Swara said, “Mera ek film tha, uska saala director peeche padh gaya…dimaag ka dahi kar diya just after Tanu weds Manu, it was my big lead film..chappan din ka shoot, hum heroine hai uske. Pehele samjhane laga jo director hai na usse actress se pyaar hona chahiye aise hona chahiye waise hona chahiye maine kaha theeke hai sahi hai sir….”

(I had a film, and its director kept pursuing me… he drove me crazy. This was just after Tanu Weds Manu, it was my big lead film. It was a 56-day shoot, and I was the heroine. First, he started explaining that a director should fall in love with his actress, that this is how it should be and that is how it should be. I said, okay, fine, sir)

Things became more uncomfortable when the director suggested rehearsing a romantic sequence privately with her. Swara said she questioned why a rehearsal involving a romantic scene needed to happen between just the two of them.

She recalled, “Phir isne kya kiya ek isme love scene tha matlab gaana tha jisme thodha romantic tha. Toh usne bola rehersal karenge iss scene ka toh maine kaha kaun kaun hai iss scene mein toh kehta hai you and me will discuss this toh maine kaha nahi - you call the actor you call the camera person agar rehearsal hai toh saare log karenge na hum akele kahe karenge”.

(Then what he did was, there was a love scene in the film, a song which was slightly romantic. So he said we will rehearse this scene. I asked who all are in this scene? He said, ‘You and I will discuss this.’ So I said no, you call the actor, you call the camera person. If it is a rehearsal, then everyone should be there. Why should we do it alone?)

Swara then recalled another incident at a guest house where she found herself in a situation with the director and cinematographer while the two men were drinking. She questioned why a young woman in her early 20s should have been expected to rehearse or have a reading in such a setting.

“Can you imagine why a young woman- a girl who is in her early 20s, do sharabiyo ke beech mein mujhe kyu rehearsal karana chahiye ya reading karana chahiye..”

(Can you imagine why a young woman, a girl who is in her early 20s, should be made to rehearse or do a reading between two drunk men?)

Swara said the situation took another turn later that night when the director allegedly came to her door and knocked.

She recalled, “Raat mein aaya aur knock kar raha hai darwaje pe… maine darwaza khola.. Maine kaha kya ho gaya sir kehta hai can i get a hug i was like no, you cannot get a hug…”

(He came at night and was knocking on the door. I opened the door and asked, ‘What happened, sir?’ He said, ‘Can I get a hug?’ I was like, no, you cannot get a hug)

The revelation prompted a reaction from fellow contestant Tej Pratap Yadav, who said, “Maari kahi nahi aap”. Swara responded that she could not have hit the director because he was directing the film and doing so could have affected her work.

“Nahi maarna tha director hai uss film ka, maarenge toh film chutt jaayegi,” she said.

(No, I couldn't hit him. He was the director of that film; if I hit him, I would lose the film)

When Priyanka Chahar Choudhary pointed out that Tej was around now, Swara said she would call him directly.

–IANS

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