When Gulf News spoke to actress and sexual assault survivor Bhavana who outlived Kerala actor assault case and became the portrait of boldness

As the Malayalam film industry absorbs the impact of actor Dileep’s acquittal on conspiracy charges, attention has swung back to the woman at the heart of the 2017 case — actress Bhavana Menon.

Her story, marked by a brutal attack and an equally brutal wave of public scrutiny, reshaped Malayalam cinema and forced her into an involuntary exile from the screen.

Gulf News looks back at our 2013 interview in Dubai and here's what she had to say back then to this journalist. The survivor has publicly spoken about the attack, but in our interview with her she let us in on the painful healing process.

“I still don’t know how I am overcoming my issues. I am trying and figuring out different routes and methods. I battle with anxiety, and I have occasional meltdowns,” she said in that interview in Dubai. She was in town to launch a fashion boutique in Jumeirah.

Bhavana — who was abducted and sexually assaulted in 2017 in a moving vehicle in Kerala — told us back then then that she had made the difficult decision to distance herself from Malayalam cinema in the aftermath of the trauma.

The actress — who has appeared in more than 70 South Indian films — said that even the thought of returning to the Malayalam film industry once triggered “terrible memories.”

But she made a decision to reclaim her space. This was back in 2023 and that's when she opened up to us.

“It almost feels like a magnificent comeback,” she told Gulf News at the time.

“But it wasn’t easy to resume acting in Malayalam cinema after such a long gap. I had my fair share of nervousness and anxiety. I was even unsure whether it was the right decision to make a comeback to the Malayalam industry,” she said.

Her transition back was eased, she explained, by the welcoming cast and crew of ‘Ntikkakkakkoru Premandaarnnu’ — which roughly translates to My Brother Had A Romance.

One of the first changes she noticed on set was the increased presence of women in technical departments, something she described as “heartening.”

Now based in Bengaluru with her producer-husband Naveen, Menon also felt that Malayalam cinema had evolved in its storytelling.

“The mainstream cinema has become very content-driven now. It’s not the hero-heroine-villain-songs format anymore. More meaty roles are being written for supporting characters as well, and good movies coming out of our industry are now being discussed across the country and beyond,” she said.

In February 2017, Menon was travelling from Thrissur to Kochi when she was waylaid by a group of men who assaulted her and reportedly filmed the attack.

Actor Dileep, who is now acquitted of all charges, was later accused of involvement and arrested; he faced a criminal-conspiracy charge and was released on bail after spending more than three months in custody in 2017. The other six men have been given a guilty verdict.

The actress also endured intense victim-shaming and online abuse in the aftermath, with trolls attempting to blame her for the violence.

In an earlier interview with this journalist, she had described the vitriol as “appalling.”

Asked whether the negativity had eased, Menon offered a grounded response saying she is still learning how to cope.

As she rightfully points out that healing isn’t an overnight phenomena and the process of surviving such a heinous assault is often painfully slow.

“It definitely takes time and tests the patience, but it is what it is. We need to move ahead with our lives without giving up,” said Menon. The trial involving the main accused and the popular actor, who remains the eighth accused is still on-going. While the actress chose to skip the question on whether justice delayed, is justice denied, Menon believes that the grit and gumption she displayed has made her the reluctant idol for sexual assault survivors in India.

“I had the support of my family and friends who lifted my soul up! But the problem with most survivors, sadly, is that they don’t have that support system. Sometimes, they are encouraged to brush it [the assault] under the carpet,” said Menon.

While she had to battle an avalanche of trolls and victim-shamers, Menon’s spirit was bolstered when her female peers including Geethu Mohandas, Samyuktha Varma, Remya Nambeesan, and actress Revathy continued to be her pillars of support. Following the attack, a Women In Cinema Collective was even formed to provide safer work environment for female actors.

Her husband also has also been a sturdy pillar all through her adult life, apart from her friends who continue to throw their weight behind her.

Immediately after the assault in 2017, the two announced their plans of getting married and beginning a new life. In many parts of the world, a sexual assault survivor is often ostracised and sidelined in society. But their collective determination to not let the violent crime define her existence and identity was admired.

Even her latest role in her proverbial comeback in ‘Ntikkakkakkoru Premandaarnnu’ isn’t a simpering wall flower. Just like her real-life personality, her latest role is that of a strong independent woman.

“I play Nithya, a school teacher. She’s independent and level-headed. The story begins when she meets her ex-lover at a crucial point in her life. More than challenging, it was fulfilling to play a strong independent today’s woman,” said Menon.

So in life, is she an incurable romantic?

“I am more of a realistic lover in life. We love giving space to each other, we respect our individual choices and decisions, but at the same time it’s very important to be there for each other all the time,” said Menon.

They have both fulfilled their promises to each other.

Surprisingly, she isn’t even a fan of romantic comedies, but chose her comeback film because she loved its story and her role. She’s more a ‘Game Of Thrones’ and ‘Stranger Things’ fan.

“Honestly speaking ,romance isn’t my most favorite genre. I can spend an entire day watching Game Of Thrones or Stranger Things. I grew up watching some of the best love stories in Malayalam , Tamil, and Hindi and I miss a romantic movie like ‘Innale’.

Starring Shobana, Jayaram, and Suresh Gopi, ‘Innale’ was a cult hit and revolved around a woman who suffers from amnesia and fails to recognise her past or her beloved ones. It was a story said from a female perspective.

“Also, recently I watched a film called ‘Nayattu’. Everyone in it was phenomenal. And I am extremely happy and proud that we are discovering new talents.”

True to her vision, her comeback in Malayalam has a clutch of talented but relatively obscure actors. But the story will tug your heart, she says.

We agree, just like how her life and the grace with which she lives is a crash course in resilience and strength.