Looking at the Madhampatty Shruthi–Joy Saga, I Wonder: Why Do Women Stay?
If there’s one story that has been making waves across Tamil Nadu, it’s the case of Madhampatty Rangaraj and celebrity stylist Joy Crizildaa.
Rangaraj is married to Shruthi Priya, who also happens to be his cousin, and they are parents to two boys. Despite this, Joy took to Instagram to announce that she was now married to Rangaraj — and revealed that she was already six months pregnant at the time of their marriage.
As usual, it was Joy — not Rangaraj — who faced brutal cyber abuse, with many calling her a gold digger. Meanwhile, Rangaraj tried to repair his image by attending public events with his wife, projecting that he had returned to his family life.
A Woman the Public Loved to Hate
I pity this woman, Joy. Being a divorcee herself, she must have known that her marriage was not legally valid and that the public would not easily accept it. Yet, she tried hard to convince people that theirs was a genuine marriage — not a casual relationship.
She often referred to Rangaraj as her husband and the father of her unborn child, sharing many intimate pictures of them together. Later, she filed a police complaint stating that Rangaraj had abandoned her — but still expressed her wish to reunite with him.
In a YouTube interview hosted by Shiva Shankari, Joy made shocking revelations that exposed one side of the story. According to her, Rangaraj had already separated from his wife Shruthi Priya. When they met, he was under judicial separation, and several people confirmed to her that they had been living apart for years.
Rangaraj, she said, portrayed himself as a lonely man longing for love and emotional peace. Joy herself was going through a failing marriage at that time. She divorced her husband and moved in with Rangaraj, offering him love, comfort, food, and care — even sacrificing career opportunities to be at his beck and call.
She also claimed that Rangaraj had forced her to undergo multiple abortions. It’s unclear what stage his divorce case with Shruthi stood at, or why Joy seemed unaware of it. She likely assumed that Shruthi would never return, even if the legal divorce wasn’t finalized.
For two years, Joy lived with him openly.
When the Past Returned
Everything changed when Shruthi decided to make a comeback — perhaps out of jealousy, perhaps to reclaim what was hers. She posted a photo of herself with Rangaraj and their two sons on Instagram. That single image shattered Joy’s world.
Her foundation crumbled. She had been living on uncertain ground, having risked so much for Rangaraj. Her son from her first marriage had begun to see him as a father. Her friends and relatives believed she was legally married. Most importantly, she had emotionally tethered her life to Rangaraj — and now, his return to Shruthi could destroy her completely.
He did return home, at least publicly.
Joy then decided to take a bold step. She refused to terminate her pregnancy anymore, saying that her child would be the only living proof of the love she had given — and perhaps the one thing that might keep Rangaraj tied to her forever.
She got pregnant again, this time intentionally. She revealed it to him only in the middle stages of her pregnancy. By then, there was little he could do. The news of another woman carrying his child would have damaged his image — and he left her again.
What he will do next remains uncertain.
The Current Scenario
Now, Shruthi Priya has made it clear that she and Rangaraj have reunited. Her Instagram bio has read “Rangaraj’s wife” for years — a quiet but firm declaration of identity. Throughout all the allegations and public noise, she has never once denied her position as his lawful spouse.
Shruthi’s recent posts suggest her husband is finally back home. She also indirectly accused Joy of being a home-breaker. Ironically, the tide of online attention has now turned against Shruthi. Comment sections are filled with people questioning why she chose to stay with a man widely perceived as a womaniser.
The turning point came when cameras flashed at the Women’s Commission office — Rangaraj appeared hand in hand with Shruthi. That single image set off a storm. People lashed out at Shruthi for still supporting her husband:
“He left you for another woman, then left that woman for you — and you still stand beside him?”
It’s the cause of today’s public outrage. And honestly, how can someone keep her fingers crossed, pretending everything is fine, when she knows her husband is with another woman?
Joy’s Side of the Story
“I didn’t break Shruthi’s life,” Joy said in her interview. “I moved in with Rangaraj only after confirming that they had separated. Rangaraj assured me he would marry me once his divorce was finalised.”
She added with a burst of outrage:
“I never kept our relationship a secret. If Shruthi had raised her voice or taken legal steps during the early stages, I might have walked away. But she stayed silent when she knew we were together. Even his parents accepted me as their daughter-in-law. Her silence made me believe she was gone. If she had spoken up at the beginning, I might have left him. But she made a comeback only when I was already deep into the relationship.”
It’s a haunting reflection — love, silence, and timing tangled together until everyone looks both guilty and broken.
The Larger Reflection
When I looked at Shruthi Priya’s comment box, I saw something telling — the clash between two types of women.
Shruthi reminds me of Keerthy Suresh’s portrayal of Savitri in Nadigaiyar Thilagam. Around the time that film was released, Dr. Kamala Ganesan, a renowned gynaecologist and daughter of Gemini Ganesan through his first wife Alamelu (Bobji), recalled her own childhood memories.
She once accused her father’s second wife — Savitri — of breaking their family. Savitri had legally registered her marriage to Gemini Ganesan while he was still married to Alamelu,his first wife,that was when polygamy was still permitted in India.
As a young woman, Kamala used to ask her mother, “Why didn’t you leave him after all his affairs?”
Her mother, Bobji, would gently reply:
“See, I could have walked away to prove a point. But if I had, you might not have become a doctor. Our life, our comfort, your education — all of that existed because I stayed.”
In other words, she stayed for her children — not for love, not for pride. She knew her husband was the only one who could provide the life she wanted for them.
Not all women are financially empowered to live alone or rely on alimony. Not all of them have the social or emotional strength to fight back against betrayal. Society still shames single or divorced women — I’ve seen it myself. I’ve seen women who, after divorce, can’t even smile at another man without being branded with ugly names.
When I looked again at Shruthi’s comment box, I saw that many modern women wanted her to walk away because he had cheated. That’s the mindset of today’s world — that self-respect means leaving. But I also wanted to bring out the other side: not every woman who stays does so out of weakness or denial. Some stay for financial security, for their children’s stability, or simply because rebuilding life alone isn’t easy.
Choosing to stay, too, can be a kind of endurance — not forgiveness, but survival.
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