‘Jo Dikhta Hai Vo Bikta Hai’: Puja Banerjee Opens Up On Media Trial Amid Financial Scam- EXCLUSIVE

Television actress Puja Banerjee, who recently found herself at the centre of a major controversy, has finally opened up about the emotional toll of facing a public and media trial during one of the most difficult phases of her life. The actress and her husband, actor Kunal Verma, were previously accused by Bengali film producer Shyam Sundar Dey of kidnapping and extorting money - allegations that led to an FIR being filed against them and sparked widespread media outrage. However, Pooja and Kunal later revealed that it was, in fact, they who were allegedly scammed financially by the producer, losing a substantial amount of money in the process.

As the controversy unfolded, public perception quickly turned against the couple, with sections of the media painting them as criminals even before the facts were fully out. In an exclusive conversation with The Free Press Journal, Puja spoke candidly about the harsh media scrutiny, the emotional impact it had on her family, and the insensitivity she encountered during the ordeal.

Reflecting on being subjected to a media trial, Puja said, “It’s the sad part of our industry. I won’t blame the media completely because jo dikhta hai vo bikta hai. If you tell people, ‘Good morning, today’s good news is that everything is fine,’ then people will stop reading the newspaper. Until and unless you don’t show them something controversial or negative, they won’t pick the newspaper up. As human beings, this is how we are. So then how can we call media wrong? But yes, some people definitely have been extremely insensitive. They don’t even think that the person they’re talking ill about is somebody’s mom, somebody’s wife, somebody’s daughter. We also have families and unfortunately, they get the most affected in all this. They should think about our families. We are public figures, so we will manage all this, but what about our families? It’s very sad that we had to go through this phase. But I’ll just say that no matter what happens in life, never give up. You have only two choices in life - either to give up or to keep going no matter what, and I feel one should always fight back and never give up. Even we are fighting back despite knowing that maybe we won’t get what we have lost, but still, we will not give up.”

Speaking about how this difficult phase helped her identify who truly mattered, Puja shared that adversity made things clearer when it came to friendships and support systems. Answering whether she discovered her real friends during this time, the actress said, “My low phase has taught me who actually my close ones are. With time, I’ve realised who my own people are. But honestly, I always knew who my true friends are. There are so many friends of mine who became my friends after I became an actor and so many who have been my friends since childhood. So I do know who my true friends are. Only my close friends have really stood by me during this tough time.”

Puja also spoke about the unwavering support she received from her husband, Kunal Verma. “I totally support him, and I’m very fortunate that even Kunal has been very supportive towards me. One best thing about us is that we never discuss work, and this is the best thing because as a woman, it gives me complete freedom of what I want to choose.”