They say it's a man's world. And Kannada actor Nikita Thukral is the latest to have experienced it.
In an unjust decision that could ruin her career, the Karnataka Film Producers' Association (KFPA) has banned her for three years from acting in any Kannada film over actor T Darshan's wife blaming her for being the cause of all her marital tensions.
Shockingly, Darshan himself has not been targeted by the association despite him cooling his heels behind bars for allegedly beating up his wife Vijayalakshmi on Thursday evening because she dared to question his suspected relationship with Nikita.
KFPA president Munirathna Naidu told DNA, "We've taken this decision based on the complaint filed by his (Darshan's) wife Vijayalakshmi, which accuses the actress (Nikita) of having an affair. The couple (Darshan and Vijayalakshmi) is in the process of reconciliation and we feel it is our duty to ensure there's no hindrance. This is a decision taken collectively by all our producers, taking into consideration the well-being of the couple's married life."
On being questioned why the association has not taken any action against Darshan in the first place for beating up his wife, Munirathna said, "Darshan is dealing with legal issues and is behind bars. We need to ensure that he first gets out before we take action against him. We may plan to have a meeting and discuss this later and may consider similar stringent action against him. But, it is too early to talk about all that."
Nikita rightly feels victimised. She is in Mumbai currently and is hurt by the turn of events in Bangalore which she got to know through news channels. "The least they could have done was to inform me before they banned me. I really don't know how to react to this. This is ridiculous! I am appalled at the way they've made this decision against me," Nikita told DNA over phone from Mumbai.
The actor claims to be in a steady relationship with her boyfriend for the past seven years, and is now hoping to fight it out. "I am not going to take this lying down. This (acting) is my bread and butter. If it is the producers' association that has banned me, I will go to the artistes' association to fight for my rights," she said. "What proves that Darshan and I had an affair? People have just assumed things."
While several actors and filmmakers chose not to talk on record about the issue, they did express their sympathies with Nikita.
The ban comes a month after Nikita announced plans to produce her first film in Kannada.
