Popular actress, politician and activist, Khushbu Sundar faced sexual abuse at the hands of her own father at the age of 8. Read on to know her ordeal.
One of the most prominent actresses in the South Indian film industry, Khushbu Sundar, hardly needs any recognition. Born as Nakhat Khan into a middle-class Muslim family, Khushbu spent her childhood days in Mumbai. Khushbu is still one of the most loved actresses in Tamil, Telugu and Kannada films.
After making her debut as a child actress in the 1980 film, The Burning Train, Khushbu has appeared in over 185 films in many regional languages. Khushbu is not just a popular actress, but also a leading politician. In 2020, Khushbu joined the BJP and is currently serving as a member of the BJP's National Executive Committee.
Apart from being an actress and politician, Khushbu is an activist and works for women’s rights. She is known for calling a spade a spade and never hesitating to speak about her own tragedies. One such tragic time of her life was when she faced sexual abuse at the hands of her father. Read on to know more about it.
Khushbu faced a lot of struggles during the initial phase of her career. Khushbu was merely eight years old when she was sexually abused by her father. She had witnessed the man beating her mother and brothers. In many interviews, Khushbu spoke about her ordeal and described her father’s abusive behaviour and how their home turned into a space of relentless abuse.
It was on Barkha Dutt’s show, Mojo Story, that Khushbu opened up about her sexual abuse story and stated that the scars would remain with her throughout her life. Talking about her abuse at a tender age, the actress shared:
“I think when a child is abused, it scars the child for life and it’s not about a girl or a boy. My mother has been through the most abusive marriage. A man who probably thought it was his birthright to beat up his wife, beat up his children, sexually abuse his only daughter. When my abuse started I was just 8 years old and I had the courage to speak against him when I was 15.”
Going further in the interaction, the actress stated that it was the fear that she would have to bear more abuses that kept her silent. The actress also revealed that she was afraid that her mother would not believe her. By the age of 15, she started revolting against him and his advances. Soon, he left the family.
Khushbu’s journey to healing began when she and her family relocated to Chennai. Khushbu’s hairdresser, who was a single mother herself, noticed the inappropriate behaviour of Khushbu’s father. She had seen the actress getting beaten up by her father in a hotel room and also at shooting locations. It was Khushboo’s hairdresser who gave her the courage to address the issue and take a stand.
Khushbu Sundar has been the victim of the worst abuse at the hands of her own father. Despite bearing so much agony and pain, she mustered the courage to speak up against her abuse and abuser.
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