Do not vilify Shweta Basu Prasad, says actress Deepika Padukone, the latest in a string of showbiz celebrities to publicly support the former child star who was arrested for prostitution two weeks ago.



Deepika is quoted in IndiaTimes as saying, "Let me put it this way - if that was the only thing she could do to support herself and family and it was the only way she could make money, there's nothing wrong with that."



She also said, "Like a lot of people saying, I think it's extremely unfair. Since we know who she is, why are we not supporting her? Why are we making this a scandal? Instead, now that we know she has these issues, why don't we step forward and help her? Why do we not talk about the people who hired her to do what she's doing? I don't think we should look down on her for it but instead get together and support her."



Deepika adds her voice to that of Sakshi Tanwar, who played Shweta's TV mother Parvati on the soap Kahani Ghar Ghar Kii. Sakshi asked why Shweta's right ro privacy had been dispensed with when that of her clients had not. In an article written for DNA, Sakshi urged authorities to name and shame Shweta's clients, a sentiment echoed by others in Bollywood including director Hansal Mehta who also said he may have a film offer in store for Shweat who is currently in a remand home.



Other celebrities who have spoken out for Shweta include actress Aditi Rao Hydari and Nagesh Kukunoor, who directed Shweta in Iqbal and has said on Twitter that she should not be judged.



Shweta Basu Prasad, 23, won a National Award for her double role in Vishal Bhardwaj's 2002 film Makdee. She was arrested in a Hyderabad hotel on September 2 with the organizer of the prostitution racket and later said that dwindling finances had forced her into the sex trade.

