Former Miss Jammu Anara Gupta feels vindicated with the NHRC's notice to the Jammu govt to compensate her for the false allegations of being a porn actress
The National Human Right Commission (NHRC) has issued a show cause notice to the Jammu and Kashmir government to monetarily compensate former Miss Jammu Anara Gupta, who was falsely accused of being involved in a porno-racket in 2004.
She was arrested by the Jammu police on charges of prostitution and acting in a pornographic film.
The NHRC has offered the Jammu government six weeks time to respond, and Gupta terms it a victory for all the years of suffering.
The actress, who is in Mumbai from the last two years, speaks exclusively to MiD-DAY on her life after the racket, her Bollywood aspirations, and her traumatised family.
Excerpts: Do you feel vindicated with the NHRC's observation that the Jammu government must compensate you for damages? Yes, I do feel so. I feel it is a victory for me. They ruined my life and have to pay for this.
How has life been after the controversy? It has been very tough. For six months, I was in shock. Everything was ruined for me. I kept thinking about the things that my family would have to face. But after I was out of it, I felt better and completed my standard 12th in Jammu. Then two years back I moved to Mumbai.
Tell us about your current movies? I always dreamed of dancing in movies and wanted to come to Bollywood. I was offered the movie Miss Anara, based on my real life in Jammu. I got some Telegu, Tamil movies. I am acting in a Bhojpuri movie Raja Pardeshi and my hindi movie will be on floors in December.
What is your aim in life? I want people to know the real Anara Gupta and not remember me by the controversy. I want to make it big in Bollywood. I have some movies and I am working on it. I want to be a part of a reality show like the Bigg Boss, so that people can know me closely.
The Case
In October 2004, Anara Gupta along with her mother and three brothers were arrested for being involved in a pornographic racket.
However, the forensic lab in Hyderabad concluded that the woman in the video was not Gupta. The family later met the NHRC, and Gupta filed a defamation case worth Rs 100 crore against the government.
