IANS/Chennai
Southern actress Anjali has accused her stepmother Bharati Devi and Tamil director Mu Kalanjiyam of harassment. She has alleged that the two have robbed her of all savings.
“I’ve been mentally tortured by my step-mother and director Kalanjiyam. Both of them pose a threat to my life and I fear staying anywhere close to them. I moved out of Chennai yesterday after I brought the allegations public. I’m currently in Hyderabad but would not wish to reveal my whereabouts,” Anjali said.
Anjali went into hiding on Monday.
“My stepmom and her husband used to accompany me for shoots and would never allow me to have my own space. They wouldn’t let me talk to my friends or family. Currently, I only own one property in Chennai, all other assets and savings are in her name,” she added.
“My stepmom knew director Kalanjiyam since my debut. They both have been constantly harassing me since then and treated me like a slave. I was merely a money making machine for my step-mother. I couldn’t take it any longer and, therefore, decided to blow the whistle on them,” Said Anjali, who has filed a legal complaint against her stepmother and Kalanjiyam.
However, Bharati Devi, the stepmother, rubbishes all allegations.
“I adopted her from my elder sister when she was 15 years old and since then have been taking good care of her. I still can’t understand why she would accuse me of harassment. She says I looted a crore of her savings, but in reality she is only getting paid in lakhs for her movies and, therefore, she can’t possibly have so much money,” Bharati Devi said.
“I accompany her to shoots because I believe she needed some supervision. It is very easy to get carried away at this young age in this business and, therefore, I was there to protect her,” she added.