Jayam Ravi Takes Indefinite Break from Cinema Amid Divorce and Child Access Disputes
Ravi Mohan (formerly Jayam Ravi) gets emotional at a press meet
16 May 2026, Tamil Nadu
Tamil actor Ravi Mohan (Jayam Ravi) announced an indefinite break from acting, producing, and directing during an emotional press conference in Chennai.
The actor stated that he would not return to the film industry until he secures an official divorce from his estranged wife, Aarthi. During the press conference, Ravi spoke about the severe emotional and psychological toll the dispute has taken on him, including allegations of financial control, lack of personal autonomy, cyberbullying, and interference in his personal life.
Most notably, Ravi alleged that he has been denied meaningful access to his sons and expressed anguish over being separated from them. He claimed that even interactions with his children are heavily controlled and monitored, leaving him unable to maintain a normal father-child relationship.
The actor also revealed that the ongoing conflict had pushed him into deep emotional distress and spoke about past self-harm, highlighting the human cost of prolonged family disputes.
A Larger Problem
While Ravi's case has attracted public attention because of his celebrity status, many fathers across India raise similar concerns during separation and divorce proceedings.
In practice, a father often has little control over whether he can maintain a meaningful relationship with his children. Access to children is frequently determined by the custodial parent, and fathers may spend years in court seeking visitation or custody rights.
The result is that children can lose regular contact with one of their parents despite that parent being willing and capable of caring for them.
Conclusion
A child has a right to both parents. Yet in many family disputes, the mother effectively decides whether the father remains part of the child's life.
This is not only harmful to fathers—it can also be harmful to children who are deprived of a loving and involved parent.
A system that allows one parent to unilaterally restrict access to children for years is failing both fathers and children. Custody and visitation laws should ensure that children maintain meaningful relationships with both parents, and courts should treat denial of access as a serious issue rather than a routine consequence of separation.
Children deserve two parents whenever possible, not one parent with the power to decide whether the other may participate in their lives.
Jayam Ravi Takes Indefinite Break from Cinema Amid Divorce and Custody Battle