Daijiworld Media Network - Mumbai

Mumbai, Mar 3: Known for her bold and unconventional choices in Marathi and Hindi cinema, Sai Tamhankar once opened up about an unsettling incident from her early days in the film industry, revealing how she firmly handled an inappropriate proposition.

In a candid conversation with Bollywood Bubble, the actress recalled receiving a disturbing phone call years ago. While the offer left her uncomfortable, she chose not to remain silent. “I gave a karara jawab and cut the call,” she said, asserting that she responded strongly and ended the conversation immediately.

Tamhankar stressed that such behaviour is not limited to the entertainment industry. “Not only in our profession, but such things happen everywhere,” she remarked, underlining how women across different fields face similar experiences.

She added that, apart from that one random incident many years ago, she was fortunate not to encounter anything of that nature again. “Fortunately, it never happened to me except for one random phone call many, many years ago, and I gave it a firm reply,” she stated.

Emphasising the importance of self-belief and clear boundaries, the actress said that a person’s intent and clarity often shape how others respond. “I think if your intent is in the right place, you have nothing to worry about,” she explained. She also made it clear that compromising situations are not the only route to success. “It’s important to know that there are other ways, casting couch is not the only way,” she added.

Reflecting on public reactions to her performance in Hunterrr, in which she starred opposite Gulshan Devaiah, Tamhankar said she never allowed fear of judgement to dictate her choices.

“If I start thinking about ‘log kya kahenge,’ then I shouldn’t be an actor,” she said, noting that scrutiny is part and parcel of the profession.

Interestingly, she revealed that one of the film’s widely discussed intimate scenes was shot long after principal photography had wrapped up. However, she viewed it purely as part of her work. “I never saw it as bold or shocking, it was simply part of my job,” she said, adding that the film eventually attained cult status among audiences.