My father sexually and physically abused me, says Khushbu Sundar
Actor and politician Khushbu Sundar has revealed that as a child, she was sexually and physically abused by her father. Sharing the story of her suffering, Sundar said that she has not been in touch with her father for decades. She made the shocking revelation in an interaction with journalist Barkha Dutt on the event We The Women. Here's more.
'My father sexually and physically abused me'
As Dutt asked the panel of guests, also comprising fellow actors Urmila Matondkar and Nushrat Jahan about the men in their life and their influence, Sundar shared her shocking past experience. She revealed that her father was abusive toward her mother as well as herself. She said that she was brought up solely by her mother.
'I have seen my mother struggle'
Sundar said, "I have always seen my mom struggling all by herself...I had a father for the namesake, because of the surname to my name...But otherwise, I don't have great memories (sic)." "He was both physically and sexually abusive...I would not want to call him as my father (sic)," she added, stating that her mother helped her grow.
My mother gave me wings to fly: Sundar
Sundar said that while she had a hard childhood, her mother was always there to support her. She revealed that since her mother was deprived of opportunity, she always motivated Sundar to pursue her dreams. Sundar's mother left her father's house along with her when she was just sixteen. She added that she has not met her father for the past 34 years.
You can watch the clip here
Sundar started her acting career as a child artist
Sundar, a popular actor in the South Indian film industry, had started her career as a child artist with the Bollywood movie, The Burning Train. She worked as a child artist in other movies such as Naseeb, Laawaris, Kaalia, and Dard Ka Rishta. She joined politics in 2010 with the political party DMK. This year, she quit Congress and joined the Bharatiya Janata Party.
What is 'We The Women' all about?
We The Women event, which is being conducted virtually this year, connects women and men from various spheres of life such as cinema, politics, and literature. This year's line-up of guests also included Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, actors Kareena Kapoor Khan, Sonu Sood and chef Vikas Khanna.