Veteran actress Daisy Irani is one of the biggest child actors that the industry has witnessed. During the 1950s and 1960s, she starred in a number of major hit films like Boot Polish, Naya Daur, Dhool Ka Phool, amongst many.
In an interview with Mumbai Mirror, she revealed her #MeToo moment, thus pointing towards the rampant sexual assault in Bollywood.
Recounting the incident, she said, "The man who did this was supposed to be my guardian. He accompanied me to a film shoot (Hum Panchhi Ek Dal Ke) in Madras. One night in the hotel room he violated me, hit me with a belt and warned me that he would kill me if I ever told anyone about what had happened."
Picture this - It took her over 60 years to acknowledge this traumatic incident publicly. What prompted her to share her story now, you ask? Well, seeing the number of child actors swarming the industry, she shared her incident to warn the parents of the child actors. Moreover, she wanted to caution them about the ugly reality behind lights, camera, action.
The accused, Nazar, is no more. He was related to the iconic singer Zohrabai Ambalewaali and had strong contacts in Bollywood. Daisy, who was just six-years-old then, had to submit to his whims and maintain silence, like in most cases.
As she recalled the gruesome incident to Mumbai Mirror, she remembers the killing pain, and the visual of him hitting her with a belt. The morning after this incident, she had to return to the set and stay calm as if nothing had happened.
Talking about how this took a toll on her, she said, "All I can say is as I grew up, I started flirting outrageously, I would tease and taunt men. I did not even understand what I was doing. I became badtameez (without manners). With time, my mother did get to know about the Madras incident but what could be done really?"
Post this, she became a crusader for her sisters who were ready to join Bollywood. Be it her sister, Honey Irani (mother of Farhan and Zoya Akhtar) and Menka Irani (mother of Farah and Sajid Khan), she was very protective of them
She was last seen in Farah Khan's Happy New Year.
We hope her revelation will help the parents see the other side of the industry, which is real and not much talked about.
