Former child star, caught in prostitution scandal
Shweta Basu claims she resorted to it out of desperation
HYDERABAD:
National award winning actress Shweta Basu, who gained critical acclaim for her performance as Khadija in the Bollywood film, Iqbal was recently arrested for prostitution.
The former child star recently revealed that she took to the sex trade out of desperation as she was running out of money.
The 23-year-old actress, who was arrested on Sunday is currently being housed in a state-run rescue home and has admitted to having made a wrong decision in her career.
“I was out of money. I had to support my family. All the doors were closed, and people told me to get into prostitution to earn money. I was helpless, and with no option left to choose, I got involved in this act,” police sources quoted her as saying.
The former child actress seen in notable Bollywood films like Makdee and Iqbal, opposite renowned actors such as Naseeruddin Shah and Shabana Azmi, also revealed that there were other actresses who were going through this phase.
Shweta, who shot to fame as a child artist through Ekta Kapoor’s television serial Kahaani Ghar Ghar Ki, won the Indian National Film Award for Best Child Artist for her performance in Makdee in 2002.
The actress was arrested from a hotel on Sunday night along with the sex racket’s organiser. The court ordered for her to be sent to a rescue home run by the women and child welfare department the next day.
Before being sent to the rescue home, she went through medical examination at a government hospital. She is likely to stay in the rescue home for three months where inmates are provided with free food, clothing, medical care and also vocational training. IANS
Published in The Express Tribune, September 8th, 2014.
National award winning actress Shweta Basu, who gained critical acclaim for her performance as Khadija in the Bollywood film, Iqbal was recently arrested for prostitution.
The former child star recently revealed that she took to the sex trade out of desperation as she was running out of money.
The 23-year-old actress, who was arrested on Sunday is currently being housed in a state-run rescue home and has admitted to having made a wrong decision in her career.
“I was out of money. I had to support my family. All the doors were closed, and people told me to get into prostitution to earn money. I was helpless, and with no option left to choose, I got involved in this act,” police sources quoted her as saying.
The former child actress seen in notable Bollywood films like Makdee and Iqbal, opposite renowned actors such as Naseeruddin Shah and Shabana Azmi, also revealed that there were other actresses who were going through this phase.
Shweta, who shot to fame as a child artist through Ekta Kapoor’s television serial Kahaani Ghar Ghar Ki, won the Indian National Film Award for Best Child Artist for her performance in Makdee in 2002.
The actress was arrested from a hotel on Sunday night along with the sex racket’s organiser. The court ordered for her to be sent to a rescue home run by the women and child welfare department the next day.
Before being sent to the rescue home, she went through medical examination at a government hospital. She is likely to stay in the rescue home for three months where inmates are provided with free food, clothing, medical care and also vocational training. IANS
Published in The Express Tribune, September 8th, 2014.