Varalaxmi Sarathkumar breaks down in tears recalling childhood assault on TV show: ‘5-6 people abused me’

Varalaxmi Sarathkumar got emotional seeing a dance performance at a TV show, and shared her story of facing childhood sexual assault.

Published on: Mar 29, 2025, 17:24:08 IST

By Santanu Das

Prefer HTon Google

Share via

Copy link

Actor Varalaxmi Sarathkumar could not control her emotions when she appeared as a judge on a dance show. The actor broke down in tears watching a powerful performance on the impact of sexual assault and bravely opened up about her own story. The actor shared that in her own childhood she has faced sexual assault. (Also read: Varalaxmi Sarathkumar reacts to negative comments on fiance: ‘I don’t care about people, even my father married twice')

Varalaxmi Sarathkumar opened up about facing sexual assault.

What Varalaxmi said

As per a teaser shared on the Youtube channel of Zee Tamil, the actor stood in solidarity for contestant Kemy who shared her story of being harassed by her family. Hearing her story, Varalaxmi got emotional during the show and was seen wiping away her tears. She then went on to say, “I am just like you. My parents (actor Sarathkumar and Chaya) were working back then, so they used to leave me in the care of other people. Five to six people abused me as a child."

‘Your story is my story’

She went on to add, “Your story is my story. I don't have any children. But, I tell parents to teach 'good touch' and 'bad touch' to children.” The actor went on to give the contestant a hug. She also apologised for crying on camera and said that she does not get so vulnerable in public. To this, actor Sneha immediately reassured her. She also said that there was no need to apology as it takes a lot of guts to share her story.

Varalaxmi got engaged to Mumbai gallerist Nicholai Sachdev in March last year. The actor was recently seen in Prasanth Varma’s Teja Sajja-starrer, the Telugu film HanuMan. She has been roped in to star in Dhanush’s Tamil film Raayan, which also stars Kalidas Jayaram, Sundeep Kishan and SJ Suryah. She will also be seen in the Malayalam film Colours, apart from a Telugu film titled Sabari.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Santanu Das
Santanu Das is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with over 5 years of experience, writing on films, pop culture and film festivals. He has a keen interest in writing about South Asian independent films and has covered several film festivals, including Sundance and CPH: Docx. He also brings a sharp perspective to the monthly column called The Fault in Our Stars, where he writes about a recent film/series and what stops the ‘good’ from becoming ‘great’. A gold medalist from Banaras Hindu University, Santanu completed his postgraduate studies in English from Jadavpur University. He is also a Rotten Tomatoes-certified film critic. When not watching films or speaking to celebrities, Santanu can be found reading a book. Some of his favourite films are Aparajito, Ponyo and The Double Life of Veronique. His favourite books include The Corrections, The God of Small Things and A Room of One's Own. Santanu continues to write passionately about films and celebrity culture. He brings a relatable, as well as critically informed, lens to entertainment and culture for a wide audience. Find him on LinkedIn: santanudasfilm Instagram: @santupechaRead More

Amazon Summer Sale is here! Splurge and save now! Click Here!.

Get more updates from Bollywood, Taylor Swift, Hollywood, Music and Web Series along with Latest Entertainment News at Hindustan Times.