From cigarette burns to casting couch: Niti Taylor speaks of bitter experiences at school, in love and in her career

Photo: Collected

Indian actress Niti Taylor has spoken publicly about various bitter experiences in her life: bullying by classmates at school, physical and mental abuse in a four-year romantic relationship, and a director’s proposal of a sexual relationship in exchange for a film role. She alleges that she was beaten by her former boyfriend and also had to endure cigarette burns on her body. The actress has also claimed that a director proposed a sexual relationship to her in return for giving her work in a film.

Niti, who became known for acting in television serials such as ‘Kaisi Yeh Yaariyan’, ‘Ghulaam’ and ‘Bade Achhe Lagte Hain’, said this in a recent interview with ‘Hauterrfly’. Her experiences of harassment in school life, abuse within a relationship, the casting couch and a conflict with a co-worker on a shooting set also came up there.

Niti described her school life as one of the hardest times of her life. According to her, after she did not show interest in her friends’ boyfriends, some boys started sending her messages. She believes some of them could not accept rejection, and from then on the humiliation and harassment around her began.

Niti said her home phone number used to be written in various places, including the school toilets and bus stops, so objectionable calls kept coming to the landline at home. Some classmates made indecent remarks directed at her, threw water and food at her, and also wrote vulgar things in various places.

To explain how deep an impression these incidents left on her, Niti said she used to cry almost every day sitting on the school bus. When she later told her parents about it, they asked her to focus on her exams and assured her they would leave the city once the exams were over.

The actress said that during the shooting of the first season of ‘Kaisi Yeh Yaariyan’, she got into an abusive romantic relationship. She alleges that her former boyfriend often objected to her clothes, the way she moved about and her socialising with others. Once, when she wanted to leave her boyfriend’s birthday party with her friends because she felt uncomfortable, he stopped her.

According to Niti, the situation between the two of them then turned violent outside the house. She alleges that her boyfriend pushed her and also slapped her. She also claims that the whole incident was recorded on the building’s CCTV camera.

Besides the beating, Niti has also alleged that she was burned with cigarettes in that relationship. She said the scar is still on her body; because her skin easily forms keloids, the mark is clearly visible.

The actress said that along with the physical abuse, she also had to hear insulting remarks regularly. Niti claims her former boyfriend mocked her as short, fat and ugly, as a result of which she lost confidence in her looks and abilities.

Niti said she did a lot for her boyfriend to keep the relationship going: cleaning his room, cooking, and even taking on the responsibility of showing his parents around when they came to visit. After coming out of the relationship four years later, she realised that the long period of abuse had a deep impact on her self-respect and self-confidence.

Niti said that even now, when someone praises her beauty, it is hard for her to believe it. In her view, one needs to learn one’s own worth while growing up, and no one else should be given the chance to destroy one’s self-respect.

Niti also spoke of her casting couch experience while working in South Indian films. She alleges that after she had acted in two films, the director of her first film offered her work in a new film. But she was told that to get the role she would have to enter into a sexual relationship with the director.

Niti was stunned to hear such a proposal. She said she hung up the phone, blocked the director’s number and told her mother everything. The incident hurt her mentally so much that she then decided not to work in films any more.

In the interview, Niti also brought up a conflict with a co-star during the serial ‘Ghulaam’. She believes the co-star did not take kindly to the attention she was getting in the serial. Niti said both of them were made up by the same make-up artist, but the co-star used to keep the door shut so that the make-up artist could not go to her. She alleges that once the co-star even kept the make-up artist locked in her own room.

Niti also expressed anger over negative reports published about her behaviour on the shooting set. According to her, those reports accused her of arriving late on set and behaving arrogantly. But she claims she always tried to be present on time.

By bringing these incidents from various phases of her life to light, Niti wanted to show how much long-term harassment and abuse can change a person’s self-confidence and view of themselves. Source: The Times of India.