Television actress Sonarika Bhadoria, widely recognized for her iconic portrayal of Goddess Parvati in Devon Ke Dev… Mahadev, recently made a series of explosive revelations. Appearing in a candid interview on the Siddharth Kannan Podcast, the actress opened up about her infamous bikini controversy, the dark side of television production, and deep-rooted industry biases.
Brutal Trolling Over Bikini Photos
Speaking about wearing a bikini back then, Sonarika strongly says she would wear it because “Kisi ke baap ka kya jaa raha hai”. Due to her divine on-screen image as Parvati, the photos sparked widespread outrage among conservative viewers.
“I wanted to wear it, so I wore it,” Sonarika stated bluntly, questioning why society expects women to constantly justify their personal clothing choices. She also reflected on how media outlets aggressively swarmed her for reactions at the time, completely blurring the line between an actor’s personal life and their on-screen roles.
Speaking on bias in Films
Sonarika shared that very few people on TV have excelled in films, but she thinks there is too much bias. She emphasized that no matter how good an actor you are, how well you can play, or how good you look, if you come from a TV background, people will not let you into films.
Pay Parity Injustice
She revealed she faced pay bias. Without naming the show, the actress shared that she worked on a show for a year. She shared the TRP and GRP were so high that the channel threw a celebratory party. However, instead of receiving a well-deserved salary hike as appreciation, Sonarika was abruptly replaced without prior intimation. In stark contrast, her male co-star was handed a massive three-times pay raise.
South Cinema, Naval Obsession
Sonarika also addressed the industry’s historical fixation on objectifying women, particularly the focus on the female navel. She admitted that while it did not bother her initially because she was unaware, it disturbs her now.
Shocking On-Set Experience
Sonarika recalled a disturbing security breach on the sets of her debut television show, Tum Dena Saath Mera. Due to a lack of proper vanity vans, the cast was allocated temporary, makeshift wooden rooms for changing. She shared that while she was changing, she heard a mysterious noise one day.
Sonarika further revealed that as her mother used to accompany her on sets, she came in, broke the wooden panel in the room, and discovered a phone. She shared that someone had kept it to record girls changing in the room. The actress shared she hit the guy behind the scenes very severely.
Casting Couch Experience
Sonarika clarified that while she has received highly inappropriate propositions over the years, they were strictly restricted to text messages. She said she always protected herself by immediately blocking those numbers, ensuring she never walked into compromising real-world situations.
