If you have been following the buzz on social media, you would know of the series of tweets popular singer and TV host Suchitra has been posting in the past few days. The tweets, some with screenshots and images attached, range from the very private and intimate to the outrageously scandalous, and have shaken up the Tamil showbiz industry. Those mentioned in the tweets are angry, hurt and helpless; few have been brave enough to show empathy or deny their role.
For several days now, Suchitra’s Twitter account has been opening a can of worms every night. There were allegations of rape against well-known stars, leaked emails between actresses and directors about ‘nude footage’, images of actors in each other’s arms and kissing each other, and even images of a woman actor posing nude. But these tweets would soon be removed, with a customary, ‘Sorry guys account hacked’ message.
For a scandal of this scale, the response from the industry has been considered, perhaps even muted. TV channels and websites have gone to town with it – what could grab more eyeballs than an industry insider ‘leaking’ intimate images and ‘legitimising’ gossip? But the actors themselves have had little to say.
When Suchitra had tweeted about Dhanush, Simbu and Jaggi Vasudev in February, TNM had contacted her. She had tweeted that there was a sex scandal brewing in the ashram and that Dhanush’s team had injured her. She dismissed her tweets as a ‘social media game in which they were outing each other.’ She also said through messages on Whatsapp that Simbu was the winner of the game, but Dhanush had played well.
Names like Dhanush and Anirudh, who were accused of sexually assaulting Suchi, have not reacted at all. Others like Selvaraghavan and his wife Gitanjali have only shown their ‘support’ to Suchitra and her husband as she is ‘mentally affected’.
Singer Chinmayi was one of the first to confront Suchitra about her tweets, following which Suchitra told the singer that she had nothing on her now, but she would get it.
"Rahul (Chinmayi's husband) and I spoke to Karthik Kumar, when the issue first started and we understood immediately when he told us she was unwell. An emotional meltdown can happen to anyone. And Karthik Kumar put out a video on FB yesterday thanking people for the support.Let us be honest, a LOT of us have gone through major stresses, or our family members have. We dont talk about it. Thats all. However, whatever is going on in her account right now, (she blocked me ages ago for reasons best known to her) is WRONG! Effing wrong. Nonetheless, my conscience is clear and have nothing to be afraid of. I ll choose to be the better person. #karma."
Suchitra’s tweets had hinted at a relationship between actor Andrea and filmmaker Selvaraghavan (Dhanush’s brother) and that the latter had blackmailed Andrea.
Selva and his wife Gitanjali posted on Facebook and Twitter that they would stand with Karthik.
My friends. I was about to give police complaint but I love and respect her husband @evamkarthik
— selvaraghavan (@selvaraghavan) March 4, 2017
Ma (mother in law ) I don't care about anything but I respect her husband's request that she is mentally affected. I love making films.over. https://t.co/gTTgKRfA6N
— selvaraghavan (@selvaraghavan) March 3, 2017
Gitanjali wrote on FB: "Hi Karthik Kumar, so sorry for everything that's happening. Selvaraghavan K and I are with you".
I love this girl.she's a wonderful human being.And I know it better than anyone else.If others were as wonderful they'd learn to behappy too pic.twitter.com/MF509FHobR
— Rahul Ravindran (@23_rahulr) March 3, 2017
Insinuating someone's name in public platform is liable for criminal defamation.. Hope ppl stop this nonsense.. My conscience is clear
— Parvatii Nair (@paro_nair) March 4, 2017
Meanwhile, The Hindu reports that a complaint was lodged with the Cyber Cell of the Central Crime Branch in Chennai, on Suchitra’s behalf, ostensibly stating that it has been ‘hacked’. This complaint is being seen as a procedural step to take the Twitter account down. Suchitra’s Twitter timeline has now vanished.
So then, what really happened? Was it really someone hacking into the account, or was she in a mental state which led her to do certain things? And was anyone else involved in leaking images and emails through Suchitra’s account?
Suchitra herself – through her Twitter account and in various TV interviews – has said that her Twitter account was hacked. She added that her Facebook account too had been hacked and she hired a private investigator. She also said that her life was under threat and that she had been hospitalised for stress due to her divorce.However, her husband Karthik Kumar hinted in a video that she was not mentally sound at this moment. "It is indicative of a certain emotional state and a condition that she's in and all of us in the family are trying our best to help her and address this situation. I thank everyone in the industry for their support and understanding that what has happened to Suchitra could happen to anyone. I hope she would be treated the same way as you would treat your own family member," Karthik said in the video.
He also seems to have told others the same.
Another theory that Kollywood is floating is that a male actor, known not to get along with some of the stars targeted through Suchitra's tweets, could be orchestrating some of the ‘attack’.
Our take
What is Suchi going through? We don’t know. We need not know. But we are intelligent enough to understand that it is a sensitive situation. Her account has really been hacked or she is going through a difficult phase.
As for us as social media users, even if we engage, then it would be good to do so with sensitivity.
However, the dialogue on how female members of the industry are coerced to perform favours is something that needs to go on. Recently, actor Varalaxmi had spoken to TNM about her experiences, despite being a star kid. Read here.