Anasuya Files Police Complaint Against Online Abuse

Hyderabad: Tollywood actress and TV host Anasuya Bharadwaj has filed a complaint against 42 people, including filmmakers, journalists, television channels and social media influencers, accusing them of online harassment, criminal intimidation, defamation and distribution of obscene content that has been formatted and generated by artificial intelligence.

According to the First Information Report (FIR) registered on Tuesday, the actor said that after he offered his views on women’s clothing on December 20, he became the target of an online attack after another actor Shivaji made derogatory comments on the same.

During the preview event of his upcoming film ‘Dhandoraa’, Shivaji encouraged actresses to wear saris and traditional outfits and added that beauty does not come from “showcasing physical assets”.

Bharadwaj alleged that shortly after that day, multiple individuals, social media users, content creators, television hosts and online platforms began amplifying abusive content against her.

He stated that his photos and videos were edited using artificial intelligence tools and turned into obscene content. The content was distributed without his permission on many platforms such as YouTube, Instagram and X.

The actor alleged that the content contained obscene comments, character assassination, defamatory statements and direct threats to his life and family. He said that in many videos, parts of his body were zoomed in, some images were cropped in a derogatory manner, and abusive language was used, bordering on voyeurism and sexual harassment.

Stating that the harassment seriously affected his “sense of security, his livelihood and his access to public life”, the complainant said he experienced “constant fear of physical harm”. A case was registered under Sections 75, 79, 336(4), 351, 356 of the BNS and Sections 66-E, 67 of the IT Act.