Kochi: A young woman hailing from Malappuram has accused a lady director of forcing her to act in a porn video by doling out the false promise of providing her a lead role in a TV serial.

Following the incident, she was ousted from home and she, along with her two-year-old toddler, have been sleeping on railway platforms for weeks, the victim claimed in her complaint filed to the cyber cell.

According to her, an Ernakulam native first contacted her, offering her the heroine role in a TV serial. She then reached the shooting location at Thiruvananthapuram. It was only after the first day’s shoot she realized the same was not for any serial but a web series.

By then, she had signed an agreement given to her in the name of a film. She was not much literate and couldn’t understand the terms of the pact.

“The Ernakulam native, who brought me to the shooting location, had read the whole agreement and assured me there was nothing in it to be worried about,” the woman claimed.

“When I came to know that I had to act in a porn film, I refused to oblige her. She then threatened me, saying I need to pay her Rs 7.5 lakh as compensation to back out of the movie. She tried to convince me saying she too was a woman and that they won’t show my face and hide my private parts in the scenes,” the Malappuram native alleged.

“She assured me she won’t cheat me and that no one could see my nudity. I believed her and acted. She gave me Rs 20,000 each in the first two days. When I refused to act on the third day, she offered Rs 1 lakh. They continued to threaten me when I made it clear that I won’t further act in the film even if she gave me Rs 1 crore,” the victim said.

The woman realized she was “cheated” when the movie was released. “I told them I’m going to lodge a police complaint. She retorted I could do nothing, as she was on good terms with certain police officers, ministers, and MLAs. But I approached the Thiruvananthapuram cyber cell. The cops summoned everyone and questioned them. When I followed up with them, they said they can’t take a case. The officer who watched my video in my presence deserves no respect at all.”

“I called them the next day. They asked me to approach the Nemom police. It was only after the police there refused to take a case against the director that I went to the cyber cell. They received my complaint initially. They could have told me at first if they would not act. The director’s lawyer came to the station then. Going by their interaction, I realized they were friends. That’s why they refused to lodge a case,” she said.

Husband barred from accompanying

“I was asked beforehand not to take my husband along when I reach the set for shooting. So, I went alone. But there I could see many serial actresses accompanied by their mothers and sisters. When I asked about it, she replied I was the heroine and hence I shouldn’t bring anyone along. I was comfortable and happy on the first day of the shoot. There was nothing suspicious. They made me sign the film agreement then. They convinced me the same was to ensure that I won’t take up other shooting assignments during the project.”

“Since I didn’t go to school, I don’t know how to write and read. All I can do is scribble down my name and sign. I used to even write my address by copying it from my ID card. I signed underneath. My lawyer, after going through the paper, told me I was cheated. Their behavior towards me changed completely during the second day of the shoot. When I refused to act further, one producer advised me, ‘any way you have done this much… now what you can do is to ask for a higher payment. Nobody will act in such roles for Rs 20,000. You should get Rs 1 lakh.’ Then I understood that they all knew I was being deceived. They deliberately tried to trap me into acting in the porn film.”

Sleeping on railway platforms

“My life turned upside down when the film was released. My angry husband and his relatives asked me to commit suicide and ousted me from the house. Since my parents had died earlier, I have no one else. The situation was such that my husband couldn’t even go to his native place. We wandered about unable to find a house for rent. If we spend a night at Thampanoor railway station, we sleep at some other station the next day. Often the cops would come and ask when my train was coming. So, we can’t spend more than one day at a station. Some of my friends will send me Rs 200 or Rs 300, using which we sustain our lives. Though my husband has a poultry shop back home, the situation is such that he couldn’t go there.”

“My household and local natives are blaming me all along. There is no point in finding fault with them. The film is such… Its screening should be stopped immediately. I have to lodge a complaint with the chief minister. If they cannot take action, then I will be left with only one choice: to end my life in their place. My lawyer has promised to file a petition at the High Court to stop the movie screening before going to the chief minister. The same will be done shortly,” the woman claimed.