Confirming rumours on social media, actor Anupama Parameswaran recently opened up about undergoing a break-up following a toxic relationship and detailed her mental and emotional ordeal on facing two years of "narcissistic abuse".

For the unversed, Anupama returned to Instagram a couple of weeks ago after a months-long break with a series of posts about healing, freedom and choosing herself. The captions led many on social media to speculate that they were connected to her rumoured relationship with Dhruv Vikram, with whom she was linked during the filming of Bison Kaalamaadan. Neither actor has ever confirmed the relationship.

In an interview with Dhanya Varma, Anupama Parameswaran opened up about her experience with narcissistic abuse, revealing that she endured it for two years. She recalled physically shaking after watching an Instagram reel in which Madonna Sebastian spoke about narcissistic abuse.

She went on to identify different groups of people who encounter the issue: those who have experienced it themselves or witnessed a loved one suffer, those who are unfamiliar with it, and those who dismiss it as a gender-based "feminist" issue and make negative assumptions. Anupama said she particularly wants to reach those who have experienced narcissistic abuse but have not yet recognised it, calling them "the most dangerous category."

Anupama said people close to her began noticing changes in her behaviour as she gradually became more withdrawn. "Everyone in my family knew the relationship was not right for me. They saw me shrinking. When you are in a healthy relationship, you grow. Narcissistic abuse happens very quietly. People misunderstand narcissists as people who love themselves a lot. But they actually hate themselves. They are insecure and an empty vessel. They do not recognise their own worth. Basically, what they want is someone they can control. They seek attention. They constantly want validation and consideration. They often target those who are confident and empathetic. They mirror you to connect with you. They are extremely good performers," she explained.

Recalling how quickly the relationship progressed, Anupama Parameswaran said her former partner introduced her to his family after just a few dates, with discussions about their engagement beginning within three months. "Within three months, he started talking about an engagement. His family began asking where it should be held and how many people should attend," she shared, adding that she turned down the proposal soon after that, requesting more time to think about it.

She also addressed the allegations that she was a "gold digger". "To those who call me a gold digger, I want to say that if I had not rejected the demand for an engagement, my marriage to him would have ended in divorce. I was the one who decided that I did not want an engagement. When they asked, I requested some more time," Anupama asserted.

The relationship also had a a major impact on her professional choices, including her decision to turn down several films. Referring to the success of Dragon, she questioned why she was absent from the film's promotional activities. "Dragon was the biggest success of my career. Why didn't I attend its promotions? I turned down many films. He started controlling everything, not just my work but every aspect of my life," she added.

Anupama further compared her former partner's contrasting behaviour to Vikram's characters in Anniyan, describing a repeated cycle of affection, cruelty, remorse and reconciliation. "It was like living with an 'Anniyan'. On some days, he would be 'Remo'. You would feel incredibly lucky to have such a wonderful person in your life. The next day, he would be 'Anniyan'. He would behave in the most cruel manner. The following day, he would apologise, beg, promise that he would never repeat it and cry like a child. This would keep repeating," she said, adding, "The person who hurts you the most would also be the one who gives you comfort. It is like an addiction. They make you reach a point where you feel you cannot live without them. Even when something has nothing to do with you, you would end up feeling that you were at fault."

Anupama also acknowledged the reactions to her Instagram video and noted how she would have received unanimous love if she had written "Rest in Peace Anupama, she died by suicide". "Then there would not have been these many comments and discussions, and boycott for me. But that day I chose to heal."

On the work front, Anupama was last seen in the Telugu film Mareechika. Up next, she has Bhogi and Crazy Kalyanam in her kitty.