Khushbu Sundar reveals actor misbehaved, asked for ‘chance’

Actor and politician Khushbu Sundar recently shared an incident from her early career. She revealed that an actor once approached her, seeking a “chance.” While speaking at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) 2024 during a masterclass on Women’s Safety in Cinema, she discussed the challenges faced by women and emphasised the importance of speaking up.
Khushbu, who was joined by Imtiaz Ali, Bhumi Pednekar, Suhasini Maniratnam, and Vani Tripathi Tikoo, opened up about the challenges faced by women in the movie industry. She said, “Women face challenges not just in the film industry but everywhere. You face them while travelling in a share auto, local train, or even on a flight. It’s everywhere, not just in the film industry. But I would like to ask women to speak up whenever they feel someone’s mistreating them. Speak up then and there; don’t think about your career and troubles.”
Khushbu recounted a personal incident as an example. She shared that when she was a newcomer, a lead actor approached her asking for a chance. “A hero once asked me, mujhe kahi cycle gap mei chance mil jayega kya? (will you give me a chance without anyone noticing?) I immediately held up my chappal and said, I wear a size 41. Do you want to be slapped here or in front of the unit?” she said.
She added, “I didn’t think then that I was a newcomer. What would happen to my career? I just knew my respect was more important to me than anything. You need to respect yourself. Only then will someone else respect you.”
On the film front, Khushbu was last seen in Aranmanai 4.