Actor Priya Bapat has opened up about a disturbing experience from the early years of her career, revealing that a co-star repeatedly crossed professional boundaries while filming an intimate scene, leaving her uncomfortable and unsure of how to respond. The actor said the incident took place when she was relatively new to the industry and lacked the confidence and experience to handle such situations effectively.
Speaking in a recent interview, Priya recalled that the project involved a kissing scene, which she had questioned from the outset. According to her, she wanted to understand why the scene was necessary for the story and repeatedly asked the makers to justify its inclusion. While she was not opposed to performing intimate scenes, she believed they should have a clear narrative purpose rather than being included merely for shock value or glamour.
After discussions with the filmmakers, Priya agreed to perform the scene. However, she alleged that things became uncomfortable during filming when her co-star began exceeding the boundaries that had been discussed beforehand. According to the actor, the co-star continued kissing her beyond what was required for the scene, making her increasingly uneasy.
Looking back on the incident, Priya admitted she did not know how to react at the time. She said she felt frozen and confused, largely because she was still learning how the industry functioned. The actor explained that many newcomers enter film sets without being fully prepared for situations where professional limits become blurred.
What made matters worse, according to Priya, was that the behaviour allegedly continued even after filming ended for the day. The cast and crew were staying at the same hotel during the shoot, and she claimed the co-star began sending her frequent personal messages. These included invitations for meals, casual outings and offers to spend time together outside work.
Priya said she never encouraged the advances and was uncomfortable with the attention. Despite maintaining a professional distance, she alleged that the messages and invitations continued. As the situation escalated, she found herself struggling to deal with it alone.
The actor eventually turned to her husband, fellow actor Umesh Kamat, for support. After hearing about what was happening, he reportedly travelled from Mumbai to the shooting location. Priya revealed that Umesh stayed with her at the hotel for several days, providing emotional support and helping establish clear boundaries.
She credited her husband with helping her navigate a situation that she found deeply uncomfortable. His presence, she said, made her feel safer and gave her the confidence she lacked at the time.
Interestingly, Priya noted that she was already in a committed relationship during the incident, which made the co-star’s alleged behaviour even harder for her to understand. She questioned why someone would continue pursuing personal interactions despite knowing she was unavailable and uninterested.
Notably, Priya chose not to identify the actor involved. Throughout the interview, she focused on discussing the experience rather than naming individuals. Her objective, she suggested, was to highlight the importance of respecting professional boundaries and ensuring safer working environments for performers.
Priya has since established herself as one of Marathi entertainment’s most respected performers, earning acclaim for projects such as the acclaimed series City of Dreams and numerous films across Marathi and Hindi cinema.