Mumbai, July 29: In a recent episode of the popular reality show “Lock Up: Sach Ya Saza,” contestants Shreya Kalra, Shivangi Joshi, and Harshad Chopra opened up about their traumatic childhood experiences, moving everyone present on the show. All three contestants revealed that they were victims of sexual abuse during their formative years.
Actress Shivangi Joshi shared that a family friend had behaved inappropriately with her when she was a child. During the show, when asked to reveal a secret related to “bread and butter,” she explained that her family faced significant financial difficulties due to her father’s business losses. During that challenging time, relatives stepped in to help meet the family’s needs.
Shivangi recounted that when she expressed her desire to move to Mumbai to pursue acting, her mother’s friend took advantage of the situation. She said, “He would tell me that if I was going to Mumbai, I needed to learn how to drive. He would sit with me under the pretense of teaching me driving, but I felt uncomfortable.”
One day, while she was alone, he attempted to assault her under the guise of explaining the entertainment industry. Shivangi managed to push him away, and fortunately, her parents returned home just in time. “My father heard the commotion and saved me,” she said. This incident left her deeply traumatized, and she struggled to leave the house for several days.
Similarly, contestant and content creator Shreya Kalra revealed that she was also a victim of abuse at the age of 13 by a cousin. She stated, “My parents don’t know about this; only my partner Rishabh Jaiswal is aware. I used to visit my grandmother’s house, where we would sleep in the hall, and I didn’t realize what was happening at that time. I don’t seek sympathy; I don’t want to appear as a victim. I just don’t want my mother to find out because the boy who did this had lost his mother, and my mom took care of him for almost three years.”
Television actor Harshad Chopra also revealed his painful secret, sharing that he experienced sexual assault as a child, which took him years to overcome. He admitted that he had never spoken about it because he was too scared.
When the word “childhood” came up during the show, Harshad disclosed, “I was about 9 or 10 years old. Our parents often trust others with their children. One night, I was left with people whom our family and community trusted. I was a bit timid as a child. While sleeping at their house, I sensed something was wrong but was too frightened to react. I pretended to be asleep. I never told anyone because I didn’t understand what had happened. My nickname is Monu, and he called me to the balcony to show me something, and I was confused and scared.”
An emotional Harshad urged all parents not to leave their children alone and encouraged them to communicate openly with their kids.
Leave a Comment