Kochi: Malayalam television actress Rekha Ratheesh has shared an emotional video on social media, speaking openly about the cyberbullying she says she has been facing and appealing to the Kerala government for strong action against online harassment by certain YouTube channels.

In the video, the actress directly addressed Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and spoke about the mental stress she has been going through.

“Kerala Government and Pinarayi Vijayan sir, I am Rekha Ratheesh; I work in the Malayalam serial industry. I have a son who studies in class 9. I haven't had a job for the last 7 to 8 months. For the last 2 to 3 months, a group of YouTubers have been making videos about me with filthy captions. They are not letting me live a normal life. They are putting me under immense mental pressure, and I don't think I can take more of it,” she said.

In the same video, Rekha expressed concern about the emotional impact of online harassment and hinted at the seriousness of the situation.

“Many people have lost their lives because of such immense mental pressure. I am a person who is trying hard to make ends meet for my son but because of these YouTubers I can't handle it anymore,” she said.

Explaining why she decided to record the video, she added, “Why I am doing this video is because, if something happens to me, I want everyone to know the reason for it. It is just because of those YouTubers who are exploiting others' lives. Not just me, they are exploiting many others in my field. Please take strong action against this. Not just for me, for all those who are struggling too because of such YouTubers.”

Soon after the video was posted, several actors and fans came forward to support her. Actors Suchitra, Beena Antony, Baiju Santhosh, and others commented on the post. Beena Antony wrote, “Be strong dear.”

Actor Isvar, who is close to Rekha, also shared a supportive message, part of which read, “You are a bold lady. You have faced enough in life. People around you know who you really are… You are strong and you are standing on your very own legs earning money in the right way. So these people have no rights to talk or comment bad about you.”

Rekha Ratheesh is one of the most recognised faces in Malayalam television. She is widely known for her role in the serial Parasparam and has also appeared in popular shows like Sasneham and Manjil Virinja Poovu.