Actress Priya Bapat recently opened up about an uncomfortable experience she had in the early stages of her acting career. Talking about her debut film, the actress recalled how a co-star repeatedly crossed professional boundaries during the shoot, leaving her unsure how to react at that time.
Priya Bapat recalls troubling early career experience: “Despite my discomfort, actors kept kissing me and messaging me”
Reflecting on the project, Priya revealed that she had reservations about a kissing scene that was part of the script. According to him, the concern was never about the performance of the scene, but about the relevance of the story. Priya said, “These were my first, first films. This was all before City of Dreams and everything happened. And there was only one kiss in the film. And I had concerns and doubts about it right from the script reading session. And I was constantly asking the director why do you need it here? It’s not about whether I want to kiss or not. But it’s just about… how do you justify it? How do you justify it? It doesn’t fit here. Is.”
Priya revealed that despite her reservations, she eventually agreed to the scene after convincing herself that it would help her overcome personal inhibitions. She said, “If it’s needed and if it’s needed, I’m ready to do it. But it’s not needed. But he was very insistent. And I said, let me see it too. I want to break the hesitation I have in my mind. Let me just do it and let it be over. I agreed to one, one kiss in the entire movie.”
However, she alleged that things became uncomfortable during the shoot when the actor allegedly started making improvements beyond consent. “And then there were moments when the actor kept improvising in the song. And he kept kissing me. And me, I don’t know why. I didn’t take a stand for myself at that time. Because I didn’t know how to deal with it”, she shared.
The actress further revealed that the situation extended beyond the film set. According to Priya, despite her lack of interest, the actor contacted her repeatedly and tried to meet her outside of work. She continued, “There was no other way. We were staying in the same hotel. But of course, separate rooms. But then he kept messaging me and asking me to come over. And let me teach you how to swim. Then come on, let’s go out to dinner. Can I meet you for breakfast? And I said, I don’t want any of that. This has never happened before in my life. And it should never happen again.”
Priya revealed that she was shooting in Bhopal at the time and would talk to her husband, actor Umesh Kamat, every night about what she was experiencing. Eventually, Kamat decided to fly down from Mumbai to be with them. She also said, “I didn’t know how to deal with it. I was shooting in Bhopal. And I used to call Umesh every night. It was the only set. And I didn’t ask him to come down. But he flew from Mumbai to Bhopal. He just came to the set. And he stayed with me for three days. Just so that the actor could get some understanding. And he kind of steps back. And he kind of understands the boundaries.”
Concluding her description, Priya said that this is the only experience she has faced in her acting journey. “It’s the only experience I’ve had so far in my acting career.”
The actress’ revelation has sparked conversations about workplace boundaries, consent and the importance of creating a safe environment within the entertainment industry.
