Shanthi Priya, who co-starred alongside Akshay Kumar in the 1994 film Ikke Pe Ikka, has revisited an unsettling anecdote about Akshay. She said that after he made fun of her skin colour, she slipped into a shell. Shanthi Priya also revealed that her sister faced similar discrimination in the South Indian industry.
In an interview with Siddharth Kannan, the actor said, “It is a sensitive topic; he must have not realised. In front of everybody, he pointed out my knees and he said, ‘Oh, see how dark they are. Did you get hurt or something? Did you fall down somewhere?’ I said, ‘No, why?’ He said, ‘What happened, dude? Why are your knees so dark and black? Is it a blood clot?’”
Shanthi Priya said that she slipped into a shell after the incident. She said, “I went into a shell. My mom was a strong pillar for us because we already faced these things in our industry down South. There are a couple of magazines in the Hindi industry where they wrote about didi when she had pimples. They used to write that the number of pimples she has, that much amount she charges for a movie. We went through a lot for colour. Me and my sister, and not only in the ’90s but even now, my sons go through it. My elder son, yes, goes through it.
Talking about everybody’s reaction to Akshay’s remark, Shanthi Priya said, “Initially, they were all laughing, and everything was flowing smoothly. Then, I was like, ‘Okay, did you really mean it?’ Then I looked at my mom. I quietly went and talked to her, as she used to accompany me. So, I went quietly, and then they realised that it was quite serious.”
Shanthi Priya said that they became apprehensive, wondering if it would escalate. But she remained calm, while the director assured her that Akshay was just joking. She replied, “No, sir, it’s okay.” The actor mentioned that Akshay brushed off his comments, saying, “I was joking, come on man, don’t take it seriously,” but he never apologised to her. Shanthi Priya added that during the ’90s, women weren’t really vocal about such matters.
Shanthi Priya has also starred in films such as Saugandh, Phool Aur Angaar and Mere Sajana Saath Nibhana
