Bollywood star claims co-star assaulted her

Mumbai/Hyderabad: Bollywood actress Neetu Chandra, who was shooting for a Telugu film in Hyderabad, has alleged that she was manhandled by her co-star southern hero Rajasekhar. The actor's wife has, however, dismissed the allegations and accused the starlet of unprofessionalism.

Neetu said she was in Ramoji Film City, Hyderabad, on a five-day shoot December 19-23 for Telugu film Sathyameva Jayathe, which is being directed by Rajasekhar's wife Jeevitha, when the incident took place.

"They were shooting for almost 18 hours a day... I couldn't take so much exertion as I was already down with fever for four days on Tuesday. So at 11 pm, I went to my room to rest for a while as there was time for my next shoot and Ramoji [Film City] is just five minutes from my hotel," Neetu said by telephone Friday.

"I had just sat on my bed when Rajasekhar, Jeevitha and a couple of their staff barged into my room. Rajasekhar screamed at me and said, 'How could you leave the sets? Get up right now before I change into something else from a man!'"

The actress, who was last seen in Oye Lucky! Lucky Oye! said the southern star even threatened to kill her.

"He pushed me into the lift and shouted 'I'll kill you. What will you do, you don't know me.' He kept pushing me until the car saying, 'You better walk fast.'"

"I couldn't say anything as everyone there knows he has a licensed revolver and he was also drunk at that time. I was scared to death," Neetu recalled.

The actress then shot for one-and-a-half hours before fleeing from the hotel.

"After the shoot was over, my hairdresser and I both went back to the hotel, packed our stuff in 15 minutes and left for the airport at 2.30 am, even though the flight to Mumbai was at 9 am," she said.

Asked if she'd take legal action against Rajasekhar, Neetu said: "I can't talk about it right now."

Jeevitha has brushed aside allegations and accused Neetu of being "unprofessional."