'I was forced into it': Mohini recalls the trauma of the swimsuit scene in ‘Kanmani’

Actor Mohini has opened up about a deeply distressing experience of being forced to act in an intimate scene despite her strong objections. The incident took place during the shooting of director R K Selvamani’s Tamil film ‘Kanmani,’ released in 1994. In an interview with the Tamil YouTube channel Aval Vikatan, Mohini revealed that she was compelled to wear a swimsuit and perform in intimate scenes she was uncomfortable with. She reluctantly gave in to avoid disrupting the film’s production, despite her objections and distress.

“Director R K Selvamani had planned a swimsuit scene. I was very disturbed and refused. I even cried. Half the day’s shoot was suspended because of my objections. I tried to explain that I didn’t even know how to swim. How could I learn swimming half-dressed in front of male instructors? At that time, there were no female instructors available. I couldn’t even imagine doing it. Still, I was forced to perform the scene for the song Udal Thazhuva,” she recalled.

“I worked for half a day and did what they asked. Later, when they wanted me to repeat the same scene in Ooty, I refused again. They said the shoot could not continue without it. I told them that was their problem. Yet again, I was pressured in the same way as before,” Mohini added.

The actor said ‘Kanmani’ was the only film in which she appeared glamorous against her will. She also expressed disappointment that her challenging and layered character in the movie failed to get the recognition it deserved.

Once a popular presence in South Indian cinema, Mohini has acted alongside some of the biggest names in the industry, including Mohanlal, Mammootty, Suresh Gopi, Sivaji Ganesan, Nandamuri Balakrishna, Chiranjeevi, Shivarajkumar, Vijayakanth, Vishnuvardhan, Vikram, Ravichandran, Sarath Kumar and Mohan Babu.’ She delivered memorable performances in films such as ‘Sainyam,’ ‘Oru Maravathoor Kanavu,’ ‘Innathe Chinthavishayam, and Vesham. Her last appearance on screen was in the Suresh Gopi-starrer ‘Collector’ in 2011.