T Rajhendar is no stranger to dramatic (if sometimes insipid) acts in front of a public audience. While the actor-filmmaker has been in the thick of controversy for diverse reasons on several occasions, this time around, he’s been severely criticised for his outrageous speech in which he insulted actress Sai Dhanshika at the promo event of their upcoming film Vizhithiru.
Sai Dhanshika
While thanking Meera Kathiravan (director of Vizhithiru), and a few other co-stars from the film after sharing her experiences, Dhanshika forgot to mention TR’s (who has done a dance number in the movie) name unintentionally. A visibly-irked TR waited for his turn and after a few cursory words, started attacking her.
Ranting that Dhanshika had forgotten TR because she’d worked in a Rajinikanth film (Kabali), the veteran artiste went to make sexist remarks too. “You lack basic stage manners. Do you think I need your acknowledgement to earn my livelihood? I don’t care even about Hansika (his son STR’s ex-girlfriend) why would I care about Dhanshika?” he said.
Vishal
A visibly-shaken Dhanshika kept on apologising to TR, saying that she was sorry and and even claimed that she has a lot of respect for him. But unwilling to listen, TR sarcastically remarked with a cruel pun, “You’ve come for a public event without wearing saree and now you’re asking sorry! Don’t interrupt me.” He then went on to add that her respect is of no use to him.
Khusboo
None of the ‘celebrities’ on the stage bothered to intervene when Rajhendar made the caustic comments on the actress and as rightly commented by a Twitterati, it was shameful of the men (Venkat Prabhu, Krishna, Vidarth, Meera Kathiravan, etc) who kept mum when the actress shed a silent tear.Clearly upset, Dhanshika took to Twitter to voice her feelings — “I’m really obliged to d no of ppl 4showing their care and luv 4 me, for what happened to me. But it is a pity, this is state of lone women. (sic)”
Krishna
This behavior of TR hasn’t gone down well with netizens, and has come under heavy fire on social networking media. Some of the celebrities also shared their views to DC.
One of the first people to react was Nadigar Sangam secretary Vishal, who condemned TR’s act. In a statement issued, he said, “Just came to know that Mr. T Rajhendar targeted and accused Ms. Dhanshika on stage repeatedly for not mentioning his name in the press gathering in spite of Dhanshika apologising to Mr TR. It’s very common for a person on stage to miss mentioning names while addressing a gathering. I have, myself, forgotten to mention or thank certain people or the ones sitting on the dais in the past. Dhanshika apologised and even fell on Mr. TR’s feet; after he pointed her out that she missed mentioning his name!”
Adding that he knew the actress well, he said, “It’s difficult for women to come up in the cinema industry. I know Dhanshika well, and people who know her, know that she wouldn’t have done anything like this intentionally. I strongly condemn Mr. TR for continuously targeting Dhanshika despite the fact that she apologised to him and he could have avoided all this.”
Vishal also criticised actors Vidharth and Krishna for not standing up for the actress — “Both you boys, Vidharth and Krishna, I think you guys should have had the least bit of decency not to clap when your own co-star was being bullied. Completely not called for, buck up.”
In a bid to make their stands clear (though an afterthought), Venkat Prabhu and Krishna also spoke out to the public. Venkat said, “I was brought up to show respect to elders at all instances. What we thought as a tease initially, turned out to become serious. I was caught off-guard. Dhanshika is an industry freshie with little experience in public speaking. I believe it is the responsibility of us seniors to guide. I humbly request for no other to have an outburst. We gain nothing from hurting.”
On his part, Krishna stated, “As a self respecting individual, who lives by a moral code, and someone who in the last few years is educating a girl, I request everyone to not mistake my silence on stage. I do revere all genders equally.”
He further added, “In my opinion, interrupting a senior actor like TR sir is not stage manners. And I am sure everyone on stage agrees with me on that note. But the repeated disrespect shown by him towards Dhanshika is unacceptable and unjustifiable. If any of us had raised objection to him at that moment then, a press meet to promote a film would have turned into a chaotic environment with unnecessary exchange of dialogues.”
Actress-politician Khushbu, when contacted by DC said, “I was away in Mumbai when this reported controversy took place. I came to know of it later. To err is human. When Dhanshika pleaded for apology, as a senior in the industry TR should have forgiven her. And one has to command respect and not seek for it.”
With respect to TR’s comment on her saree, she said, “It is Dhanshika’s parents who can decide what she should she wear and what she needn’t. No one has the right to talk about it! Do you think TR would speak like this if actress Raadhika or I had been there on the stage?” She asks back.
Many other media personalities like VJs Divya Darshini and Ramya and RJ Balaji also condemned TR for the issue, on social media.
