Delhi Crime actress Jaya Bhattacharya opens up about childhood trauma; says, 'I have been beaten with a hunter, rolling pin, tong, shoes, and what not'

Jaya Bhattacharya on childhood trauma

Delhi Crime actress Jaya Bhattacharya has recently opened up about the painful experiences that shaped her early life and entry into the entertainment industry.

In an interview with Siddharth Kannan, the actress opened up about growing up in a toxic household, facing severe physical abuse, and being pushed into acting at a young age for financial survival.

Recalling her childhood, Jaya said that being born a girl felt like “the biggest misfortune” in an environment where her parents’ troubled marriage cast a long shadow over her upbringing. “Both my parents never wanted to marry each other; they didn't get along, and that conflict trickled down to the child. My mother wasn't happy; her dreams never got fulfilled, so whatever she could give me was incomplete... I have been beaten with a hunter, rolling pin, tong, shoes, and what not. I have been beaten a lot, and that made me stubborn. In the bargain, I have damaged myself a lot,” she shared.

Despite the chaos at home, Jaya developed a deep bond with her father, though her resentment towards her mother continued into adulthood. She admitted that her early years taught her all the wrong lessons — “judging people, not valuing them,” and, most painfully, what it feels like when a parent fails to stand by their child.

Although she is now respected for her vast body of work, Jaya revealed that acting was never her ambition. She initially trained in dance and music, but circumstances pushed her toward a different path. “I was pushed towards acting,” she said, recalling her first experience with a telefilm.

“The director spoke to my father and first made me dance as a woman, and then also asked me to enact the male part... The shoot was supposed to happen after three days, but my father woke me up the next day at 5 am and took me. I didn't want to do it, but he took me there. That's how it started...”

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Her early years in the industry were far from smooth. Jaya also recounted an unsettling casting couch incident involving the same director who launched her. “He took me to a restaurant, and I was 17 or 18 at that time… Later, we found out he was involved with the mafia. One day, that guy offered to take me to Mumbai, but I said no,” she revealed.

Jaya Bhattacharya is currently seen playing the role of sub-inspector Vimla Bharadwaj on Delhi Crime 3.