Nihal Pillai, the talented actor and husband to Priya Mohan, has taken a courageous step by sharing his experiences of childhood sexual abuse. He recounted vivid memories of two traumatic moments: first, an encounter with a shoe shop employee who offered him enticing football stickers, and later, a disturbing incident during his teenage years in Kuwait.
TRIGGER WARNING: This article includes references to sexual abuse.
Actor Nihal Pillai, the husband of actress Priya Mohan and brother-in-law of Poornima Indrajith, has opened up about the sexual abuse he endured during his childhood.In a YouTube video, Nihal revealed that he was abused twice and shared that the trauma still lingers today.Speaking about his decision to speak out, he said, “I decided to speak about this after hearing from someone close to me about what happened to their child. Cases of child sexual abuse have been increasing lately. I too went through something similar. I never thought I would ever talk about it publicly. I faced sexual abuse two or three times, and two of those incidents were deeply traumatic.”
First incident: A memory that haunts
Nihal recounted one of his earliest experiences, which occurred near his childhood home. “Near the house where I lived, there was a home where a staff member from a shoe shop stayed. I must have been around eight or nine years old. One of the men from the shop used to call us, saying he would give us football stickers. One day, he said he’d give us more stickers if we came inside. There were three of us children. He told us we’d get big stickers if we went in. I can’t remember exactly whether he touched our private parts or tried to, but I do remember him calling another boy inside and trying to pull down his shorts. After that, none of us ever went back there. The smell of that room still stays with me.”
Teenage trauma in Kuwait
Nihal also shared a disturbing incident from his teenage years while he was in Kuwait. The actpr described how he had to act quickly to escape a dangerous situation. On the work front, Nihal is most popularily known for his role in Prithviraj Sukumaran’s ‘Mumbai Police’.
DISCLAIMER: If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence,
assault, or abuse, please seek immediate help. Reach out to a mental health
specialist, NGO, or trusted individual. Several helplines are available to offer
assistance.
