#MeToo: Sruthi Hariharan says she is threatened by Arjun Sarja’s fans
BENGALURU: South Indian actress Sruthi Hariharan said she was being threatened by fans of actor Arjun Sarja and that her phone has been ringing off the hook. She also said that she had evidence for this as she still had threat messages from his fans. She was speaking at a press conference here on Sunday organised by Film Industry For Rights and Equality (FIRE). This comes after the actress accused her co-star Arjun of ‘inappropriate’ and ‘sexually coloured’ conduct during the shooting of the bi-lingual film Vismaya in 2016.
“I have got threat calls from Sarja Fans Club. My phone has been constantly ringing. I have stopped picking up calls from unknown numbers but one name has been constantly coming up on Truecaller, one of Mr Sarja’s fans,” Sruthi told reporters here.
On why she was coming out after one-and-a-half-years of the alleged incident, she said, “I did everything I could in my power at that time. I had informed the director that I won’t be coming for rehearsals and will only come for the takes.” She added, “I did not have the courage then. Now I am emboldened by the #MeToo movement. People are coming out decades after the incidents. I took a year. Why don’t we focus on the incident itself instead of probing why I have come out now?” she questioned.
Narrating her ordeal further, she said, “I didn’t know how to react then. I had told my staff to take me to the caravan immediately after the scene. I was called to dinners and asked repeatedly inspite of saying a clear ‘no’. I was scared. What he did was unprofessional. I have worked with Darshan and Sudeep, among other male actors, and they have behaved with utmost respect,” she said.
“Four other women have come out anonymously naming Arjun Sarja. Legal steps are currently being taken and I will show the FlR to the media once it is filed. I have proof, but I have been advised legally not to talk about it,” she said.
On being questioned if she was scared about her future in the Kannada film industry, she said, “I am not scared of not being cast in the Kannada film industry. I will definitely get roles in the future as well. You will see me in Kannada movies year after year.”
Asked if she had received a defamation notice from Arjun, as he had told some sections of the media that he would send a legal notice, she said, “Neither FIRE nor my manager have got any letter to this effect. This is not about the incident. It’s a larger issue of abuse of power. Superstars should not take advantage of the position of power they are in.”