Actress Anupama Parameswaran has opened up about the emotional toll of narcissistic abuse, revealing how the experience affected her mental well-being, self-confidence and work as an actor. In an interview, she recalled struggling to recognise herself, feeling as though she was merely surviving each day and coming close to quitting acting. She also spoke about seeking therapy, finding the right support and how sharing her experience has helped others recognise patterns of narcissistic abuse in their own lives.
Anupama Parameswaran recalls how narcissistic abuse affected her
Speaking to SCREEN, Anupama described how the experience changed her relationship with herself, explaining that even looking in the mirror became an unsettling experience.“You look into the mirror, and you don’t see yourself. You see beyond yourself. You can never see your face in the mirror. Every day I do my makeup. And when I do my makeup, I am looking at my face. But am I looking at my face? I am not,” she said.The actress explained that she spent much of that period trying to make it through each day rather than being able to enjoy life.“Every day is survival mode. There’s no living your life. It’s just constantly surviving the day. By the end of the day, you’re like, thank God I survived today. And then you’re wondering what nightmare is going to happen tomorrow before you sleep. Living life was exhausting,” she recalled.
‘I would have done at least 50 per cent better’: Anupama on the impact on her acting
Anupama said the emotional strain also affected her work. Although she continued to turn up on film sets, she believes she could have delivered stronger performances had she not been dealing with what she described as a difficult period in her life.Reflecting on her upcoming Telugu family entertainer ‘Crazy Kalyanam’, she said, “If I had to redo Crazy Kalyanam again, or any film I’ve shot during that period, I would have done at least 50 per cent better job than what I did.”However, the actress also acknowledged the effort it took to continue working despite her circumstances. She revealed that she had come close to quitting acting but ultimately chose to carry on.“I was on the verge of doing that. I didn’t do that. So I would like to give myself that credit. Sometimes showing up is all that matters,” she said.“I am not blaming myself for that. Even when I was going through something so bad, I dared to get up from there and show up and do whatever I could,” she added.
Anupama Parameswaran says speaking out has helped others recognise narcissistic abuse
Anupama also reflected on the response to her decision to speak publicly about her experience. She said she had expected to face considerably more scrutiny than she ultimately received, but was moved by people who approached her to share their own experiences.“Actually, I was not scrutinised enough. I expected 90 per cent of the world to scrutinise me, and I would have been happy if that happened. Even a few days back, we were shooting, and a couple of girls came and hugged me and started crying. They see me as an elder sister,” she said.Describing the emotional impact of these encounters, she added, “I don’t feel good about it. I feel extremely sad. Every time I meet someone like that, I empathise with what they are going through.”The actress said that speaking about narcissistic abuse has helped people across South India become more aware of the term and recognise similar patterns in their own relationships. She also recalled men opening up to her about their experiences or those of people close to them.“Now people in the south know that there is something called narcissistic abuse, which I didn’t know before I encountered it. If it’s helping a lot of people, I am absolutely fine to take more scrutiny,” she said.Anupama has also spoken about trying therapy twice before finding a therapist who worked for her, highlighting the importance of finding support that feels appropriate for an individual.
Anupama Parameswaran and Dhruv Vikram ’s relationship rumours
Rumours linking Anupama Parameswaran and actor Dhruv Vikram began circulating in early 2025 while they were working on ‘Bison Kaalamaadan’. However, neither actor has publicly confirmed that they were in a relationship or that they have since separated.
Anupama Parameswaran’s upcoming projects
The actress was last seen in ‘Lockdown’ and ‘Mareechika’. She will be seen in ‘Crazy Kalyanam’. The upcoming film marks Badrappa Gajula’s directorial debut in Telugu cinema. Along with Anupama Parameswaran and Akhil Raj Uddemari, the film features Dr Naresh Vijayakrishna and Tharun Bhascker in important roles.