04 April,2024 01:20 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Saanand Verma
'Bhabhi Ji Ghar Par Hai' actor Saanand Verrma who plays the role of Anokhe Lal Saxena on the show recently opened up about an unpleasant experience from his childhood. He revealed that he was a victim of sexual assault during his childhood.
Verma told Times Now that he was sexually exploited at the age of 13. He said that he had on out to play a cricketer match when the incident happened. Recalling the incident, the actor termed it as a terrible memory and said that it had deeply affected him.
Saanand said, "It happened to me once, during a cricket match. When I was 13, I desperately wanted to be a cricketer. I went to a cricket training academy in Patna, Bihar. There, a big guy tried to exploit me. I was extremely scared and ran away. Since then, I have stayed away from cricket''.
While the incident left him in pain, he said that it also made him stronger. "Sexual exploitation is something that stays in a child's mind forever. It's a pain that never goes away, but the thing is, you have to overcome it and move forward. Whatever happened to me in my childhood is definitely a terrible memory, because many terrible things have happened to me before. When a person has endured so much suffering, no other pain matters to them. Such a person becomes very resilient because the Almighty has tested them so much that they become very strong. The same thing happened to me, I have endured so much in my life that I have become very strong," he said.
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Meanwhile, Verma also said that the casting couch very much exists in the industry and has heard "painful experiences" from colleagues.
"A casting couch exists here. I can't give two opinions on this, but fortunately, nothing like this has ever happened to me. No one has ever approached me in this way," he said.
Saanand Verma is a known face on television. Apart from 'Bhabi Ji Ghar Par Hai', he also appeared in shows like 'Laapataganj', 'CID', and 'Gupp Chupp' to name a few. He was also part of films like 'Mardaani', 'Babli Bouncer', 'Raid', 'Chhichhore', 'India Lockdown' and 'Mission Raniganj' among others.
