Aashram actress Anupriya Goenka reveals 'a spiritual leader tried to take advantage of her at 18'

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New Delhi: Actress Anupriya Goenka, who has worked in several films and digital ventures recently opened up on her life experience where she had an untoward experience with a godman. 

She has played a vital role in Bobby Deol starrer 'Aashram', which is helmed by Prakash Jha. In an interview with TOI's E Times, she opened up on her experience which left a strong impression on her mind. She has been quoted as saying: 

"My father was extremely spiritually inclined. My definition of spirituality and his are quite different. My definition of spirituality is when you believe in the universe, believing in the existence of some external force that is above us, believing in good thoughts and believing there is a bigger force, energy perhaps. I like to believe there's God as it makes me feel better. I like to believe there is God but spirituality for me means that I am able to do some meaningful work in life. Be if for people around me, be it my family, friends or society at large. And if I am able to do that then I am in touch with my spirituality or in that path.

But for father, it always about finding one baba, godman ot godmwoman going completely berserk and leaving every other work in life dedicating one's self to that aastha. It really did a lot harm as a family because he was so unfocussed. It drew him away from his responsibility as a father, as a husband. It incapciataed him to work poperly. He lost focus and it harmed the family as it incapacitated him to work and put all of us in a difficult spot."

Further, she said, "And I had an experience with a spiritual leader who tried to take advantage of me and that could happen because I was very young at age and I family heavily trusted him. He was someone I had started to believe in, he sounded practical and reasonable. He would say just the right thing. My entire family trusted him and he tried to take advantage of me when I was 17 or 18 and it scarred me for a long time.

Thankfully, even though I was young, I didn't let him take advantage of me and able to escape the situation because I knew I had to hear my instinct though I had to fight it for a while. I had seen the signs in previous meetings, I could feel something was amiss. I kept doubting myself because I had started trusting him. That was one of the bad experiences."

Aashram 2 - The Dark Side streamed on MX Player on November 11, 2020.