Prateek Tanmay
While promoting his film Maharaja, Vijay Sethupathi revealed why he refused to perform romantic scenes with co-actor Krithi Shetty. The reason was simple — a significant age gap since Shetty is almost 25 years younger than him.
Speaking to Behindwoods TV in 2024, the actor said: “I declined the offer of being paired opposite Krithi in DSP movie. I played her father in Uppena, which the makers didn’t know about. There’s a scene in Uppena that Krithi was nervous about when we were shooting. I even asked her to think of me as her real father while we were shooting that. She is a little older than my son. I told them I couldn’t do it.”
DISCLAIMER: This article is based on information from the public domain and/or the experts we spoke to.
The conversation deserves attention not because it is about celebrity gossip, but because it touches on something much larger: the importance of boundaries when there are differences in age, experience, and power.
Kruti Shah, psychologist at Mpower, Aditya Birla Education Trust, says that in every workplace, seniority comes with influence. “Whether it is an office, a hospital, a classroom, or a film set, people who have been in the profession longer naturally hold more authority. Their actions often set the tone for everyone else. This is why the choices made by senior professionals carry psychological significance beyond the immediate situation,” she tells indianexpress.com.
Sethupathi’s decision was less about rejecting a scene and more about recognising his own comfort level and the dynamics of the professional relationship. By viewing his younger co-star through the lens of a generational difference rather than simply as an on-screen pairing, he acknowledged a personal boundary.
Shah says that healthy boundaries are not a sign of being difficult or uncooperative, but a sign of self-awareness.
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According to her, boundaries protect both individuals and relationships. They create clarity about what feels appropriate and what does not.
This is especially crucial in workplaces where there is a clear hierarchy. “Younger professionals often hesitate to express discomfort because they fear disappointing seniors, losing opportunities, or being labelled ‘difficult’. This makes it even more important for those in positions of influence to be mindful of how their decisions affect others,” she elaborates.
Why does that matter?
People are no longer only evaluating performances. They are also looking at the values public figures represent.
Shah believes it is important to understand that establishing boundaries does not mean judging others who make different professional choices. “Every actor has the right to decide what roles they are comfortable performing. Consent, comfort, and creative decisions are deeply personal,” she informs.
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Psychologically, senior professionals are role models whether they intend to be or not. Shah says that “younger colleagues observe how they communicate, resolve disagreements, treat junior team members, and navigate situations involving power differences”. These everyday actions silently shape workplace culture.
In fact, the psychologist says that employees perform better in environments where they feel psychologically safe. “Such workplaces encourage open communication, reduce anxiety, and build trust,” she adds.
At the end of the day, true professionalism is not measured only by talent or experience. It is reflected in the ability to recognize the impact of one’s position, make ethical choices, and create an environment where everyone feels respected. If this conversation encourages more workplaces to think about healthy boundaries, then it has already served a meaningful purpose.
DISCLAIMER: This article is based on information from the public domain and/or the experts we spoke to.
