Pratyusha Banerjee’s co-star Vikrant Massey warns against blaming the boyfriend
Subhash K Jha (DNA; April 3, 2016)
Vikrant Massey who was a part of Balika Vadhu, the serial that made Pratyusha a household name, warns against blaming the boyfriend Rahul Raj Singh for her alleged suicide.“It is very fashionable to put the boyfriend in the dock, blame him for her death just because it was done earlier with Jiah Khan. But nobody knows the truth. I agree Pratyusha’s boyfriend’s conduct is not above suspicion. Her friends are busy giving interviews on how he was busy eating a packet of chips outside while her body lay inside, and that he fled with her phone. But I still say, we don’t know the truth. So please don’t put him on a trial by media,” says Vikrant who is currently playing the lead in Konkona Sen Sharma’s directorial debut.
“I haven’t really been in touch with Pratyusha. The last time I heard from her was for her birthday when I got an sms invite. Her days of glory on Balika Vadhu had ended. But once you get a taste of the money and fame, you have to continue living a particular lifestyle that you may not be able to afford any more. I guess Pratyusha was doing the same,” says Vikrant, adding that he kicked off the numbing habit of doing television out of sheer boredom.
Vikrant feels it’s unfair to always blame the man when a relationship goes wrong. “Singer Ankit Tiwari was in a relationship. When it ended he was accused of rape. I’ve myself been at the receiving end of female wrath of the most unsavoury variety. The other day a lady dressed in designer clothes carrying a designer bag was haggling in the middle of the road with an autorickshaw driver while my car was blocked in the traffic along with a fleet of others. When I asked her to move aside she showered me with the choicest abuses. I was shocked to see and hear such behaviour from a woman. My point is, men should not be seen as automatic aggressor in any conflict with a woman.”