Kamal Haasan faces heat on social media after Tamil actress Rekha makes 'kissing' confession

In an interview with The News Minute, Rekha said she was tricked by Balachander and Haasan for the kissing scene when she was just 16.

"I’ve said this a hundred times. They shot the scene without me knowing about it. People ask me the same question and I’m fed up of answering it," the actress told the media outlet.

However, Rekha feels there was a need for a kissing scene in the film but she was not informed prior.

She said, "The kiss didn’t look ugly or aggressive on screen. There was a need for it, but I was a very young girl and I didn’t know about it. He (director K Balachander) said, ‘Kamal, close your eyes! You remember what I told you, right?’ and Kamal said that he did. Then we had to jump when he said 1, 2, 3... we kissed and then jumped.

It was only when I watched it in theatres that I realised it had such a huge impact."

Rekha said she would never have agreed to the scene if she was informed prior to the shoot.

"I don’t know about getting an apology but it is a fact that I wouldn’t have said yes to the kiss at that time. They just did the scene suddenly. It’s over now and I don’t want to revisit it," said the actress.

Though Rekha never felt the need to demand an apology, several social media users are asking Haasan to apologise to the actress.

Nivedita Mishra tweeted, "That someone as celebrated as Balachander had it in mind, didn't bother to intimate Rekha is deeply disturbing. That Kamal Haasan didn't realise it was wrong is worrying. That Rekha was conditioned not to say 'No' is scary. Hope such things don't happen in future. (Contd)"

One user tweeted, "Q is not the kissing scene is apt for the situation of the film But the Heroine was not informed before by KB & Kamal It is shocking revelation by Rekha aft so many years Actress Rekha reveals about unplanned kiss by Kamal Haasan in 'Punnagai Mannan'"

One with Twitter user name Aravind R said, "How can we allow a person who kissed a minor girl without her consent to advise us for what is wrong and right Apologise in front of everyone to rekha !!!!!"