Raazi, Mission Majnu & Sita Ramam actor Ashwath Bhatt faces assault in Istanbul: 'People watch films & think Turkey is all romantic, but...'

Actor Ashwath Bhatt, who is known for his supporting portrayals in films like IB71, Mission Majnu, Sita Ramam, Raaz Reboot, Rakkhosh, Raazi, Phantom, Kesari, Haider & others, recently faced assault in Istanbul, Turkey during his vacation. He was attacked by a robber on Sunday evening, while walking towards the popular tourist location, Galata Tower in the Beyoglu district.

“I was walking towards Galata Tower when a man approached me. He had a chain in his hand, and before I could fully comprehend what was happening, he hit me on the back with it. In retrospect, it was likely a gang working in tandem, trying to snatch my bag… for a second, I was so shocked - what’s happening? But I think they weren’t expecting me to resist and put up a fight. While he was trying to snatch my bag, a cab driver stopped and intervened. The robber said something in Turkish and then fled. The cab driver saw my wound and immediately told me to go to the police,” the actor told ETimes.

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He added, “It’s unfortunate that such a thing happened, especially in such a touristy area. People often advise not to get involved and not to report to the police. That word ‘unnecessary’ troubles me. People watch films and think Turkey is all romantic, but if we don’t report crime, these incidents will only increase. Everybody warned me about pickpockets, but this was beyond anything I had imagined. I’ve been to the Middle East, Egypt, and so many parts of Europe, and nothing like this has ever happened to me.”