Actress Anupama Parameswaran addresses ‘gold digger’ tag, reveals why she postponed engagement

Actor Anupama Parameswaran has opened up about a past relationship, her decision to repeatedly postpone an engagement and the criticism she faced after being labelled a “gold digger”.

Speaking on a podcast with Dhanya Varma, Anupama described the two-year relationship as controlling and said she eventually realised that what she was experiencing was not love.

She said her former partner began discussing marriage within three months of their relationship, prompting her to repeatedly delay the engagement.

‘I knew this wasn’t love’

Anupama said she felt the relationship was moving too quickly, with her partner discussing engagement and his family making wedding plans just months after they began dating.

“I was the one who constantly delayed that engagement because I knew this wasn’t love,” she said, adding that she believed the pressure was aimed at making her give up acting.

She recalled how her partner’s family would ask about engagement plans, including the destination and number of guests. Anupama said she repeatedly told them that they needed more time.

Anupama responds to ‘gold digger’ label

Addressing people who had called her a “gold digger”, Anupama said she could have accepted the proposal but chose not to.

She said that had she agreed to the engagement, the relationship could eventually have ended in divorce.

The actress also said she postponed the engagement several times, telling her partner’s family that they were too young and needed more time before making such a commitment.

Actress describes ‘narcissistic abuse’

Anupama said the relationship eventually became increasingly controlling, affecting both her personal and professional life.

She described the experience as “narcissistic abuse”, saying her former partner’s behaviour could change dramatically from one day to the next.

She compared the different sides of his personality to characters from the film Anniyan, describing periods of affection followed by what she called a more brutal side and then apologies and promises that the behaviour would not be repeated.

Dhruv Vikram dating rumours

Anupama has previously spoken about being in a controlling relationship without identifying her former partner. Her comments led to speculation that she was referring to actor Dhruv Vikram, with whom she was romantically linked in rumours in 2025.

The two had sparked dating speculation after working together on Bison Kaalamaadan and appearing together at award events in Chennai and Mumbai.

Anupama opens up about breakup

In July 2026, Anupama spoke publicly about her breakup and her recovery from the relationship while continuing to keep her former partner’s identity private.

She had also previously claimed that she was not allowed to promote her film Dragon (2025) or post on social media without permission.

Anupama has since been sharing more about her healing journey and the experience of leaving what she described as a controlling relationship.

With inputs from Agencies